Parenthood
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: The story of a broken and dysfunctional family that might just put itself back together.
1. Lovetta

"Lovetta Mae, I'm not telling you again!"

Lovetta groaned as her grandmother's voice came from downstairs. The now ten-year-old swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up before stretching. She quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, where her grandparents were sitting at the kitchen counter. Gwen was drinking coffee while David was eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Vet!" David greeted her, smiling. "Happy birthday!"

"Morning. And thanks." She hopped up on a stool. "Where's Mom?"

"She had to go in early today," Gwen replied. "Sorry."

"I get it." Lovetta kicked her legs and sighed. "What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon and eggs!" David smiled as he handed a plate to his granddaughter. "Eat up! You've got a big day today!"

"You say that every morning."

She ate her breakfast anyway, unable to contain her own grin. She slid off the stool as soon as she was finished and ran upstairs to grab her backpack, rushing by her aunt as she went.

"Hold on, Vet," Lizzie laughed, grabbing her niece's arm. "Where's the fire?"

"I've gotta go to school!"

"So do I, but I'm driving you, remember? Take your time."

Lovetta nodded and went into the bathroom. There she looked in the mirror for the first time all morning.

Her dark green hair was messier than usual. Since it was curly hair, it was difficult to tame with a hairbrush. Still, she managed to do it every morning, and today was no exception. Lovetta pulled her hair back in a ponytail and picked up her toothbrush. She glanced at the clock and realized that she only had half an hour before school started. She spit out her toothpaste and ran to her room to grab her backpack.

"Aunt Lizzie, it's time to go!" she called, dashing down the stairs.

"Okay, Lil Bit!" Lizzie emerged from the kitchen, a travel mug of coffee in her hands. "Let's go."

They got in the car, waving goodbye to David and Gwen as they drove away. Lizzie sipped her coffee while Lovetta stared out the window.

"How are you feeling?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You turned ten today! That means you've been alive for a decade now! It's a big deal!"

"You're seventeen. Your next birthday is much more important than my tenth."

"Yeah, but it's _your_ birthday. That's what's important right now." She smiled. "Besides, your mom got permission from her boss to hold a small birthday party at the diner tonight. Any friends you wanna invite?"

"Not really."

"Still having a rough time?"

"Yep. The other kids say I'm weird because I like being outside so much."

"Your mom's the exact same way!" Lizzie looked annoyed. "That's a stupid reason not to like a person."

"It's fine with me." Lizzie could tell something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're getting all depressed. Something's wrong. What is it?"

"It's… it's just… there's something I've wanted for my birthday for a long time, but I feel like it's never going to happen."

"What is it?"

"I want to meet my dad."

Lizzie slammed on the brakes. It was both in response to Lovetta's wish and the fact that they had come up on a stop sign. She stared at her niece.

"You want to meet him? Seriously?"

"I don't know anything about him! Every time I bring him up, everybody gets all tight-lipped and won't tell me anything!" Lizzie took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you some stuff about him that I remember, okay? I was only six when he ran out on your mom, so I don't know much."

"Okay."

"There's three things I remember. First, his name is Max. Second, he was a great older brother. Third, he loved your mom more than anything else. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything else. I… I don't even remember what he looks like."

"That's okay. I know something about him." Lovetta gave her a small smile as they pulled up to the school. "See you later!"

"Have a good day, Lil Bit!"

Lovetta entered the building and headed to class. She made sure to avoid eye contact with her fellow classmates so that they wouldn't start picking on her again. She'd lied to Lizzie about the reason for the teasing. It wasn't because she loved the outdoors; she was in fourth grade. It was common. It was because their parents had told them to stay away from Lovetta and her 'whore of a mother'. The kids had teased her because she didn't know who her dad was and her mother was single.

 _Why'd you leave us, Dad…?_

* * *

Nikki pinched the bridge of her nose as Tabii walked into the diner, late.

"You know, it's considered bad form to be late on your first day," she told the blonde.

"I got stuck in traffic."

"Of course you did."

"Why are you so pissy today?"

"It's Lovey's tenth birthday, and I couldn't even be there to say good morning today. I had to be in to train you instead."

"Oh. Sorry. I know you love your little hell-spawn."

"She's not _hell-spawn_. She's my daughter."

"Whatever. You're the one who's a single mom working in a diner."

"Hey! I love my kid!" Tabii backed off.

"Let's get started with your training. You give customers their menus and wait a couple minutes before you take their drink orders. Once you bring them the drinks, you take their food orders and bring them back to the kitchen. When the food is ready, you bring it to the table and pick up the check when they're finished eating."

"Got it."

"They might order dessert, so be prepared for that. You got this?"

"I got this!" Tabii clapped her hands before walking over to a party that had just sat down. Nikki breathed a sigh of relief.

She really wanted to be home with her daughter right now, but she had to work and her daughter had to go to school. Besides, she'd see Lovetta at the party that night. After all, her baby only turned ten once. David and Gwen were ensuring that the party would go off without a hitch.

If only Max was there to see his daughter.

For almost eleven years, ever since she'd found that note in her locker after school junior year, she'd wondered why. Why he'd left. Why he hadn't spoken to her before leaving. Why he'd chosen to leave a _fucking note_ instead of talking to her face-to-face.

She didn't know what she'd do if he actually showed up.

* * *

Lovetta smiled as she got into the car after school. Lizzie was picking her up to take her to the diner. She felt excited to see her mom as they pulled into the parking lot and didn't even wait for Lizzie to turn the car off. As soon as it was in park, she got out and ran inside.

"Mom!" she cheered, hugging the waitress.

"Hey, Lovey! How was school?"

"School was boring. When does my party start?"

"In half an hour. We have to finish up with the customers that are here before we can start."

"C'mon, Lil Bit," Lizzie said, taking her niece's hand and leading her to a booth. "We'll chill here while we wait."

Lovetta sat down next to Lizzie, smiling as she bounced on the seat. They watched as Nikki talked to both customers and Tabii, redirecting the trainee when necessary. If you didn't know better, you'd say _she_ was the manager instead of the weird old guy who only popped in twice a month, if that.

"Okay, we're almost done," Nikki told Tabii. "Let's give you one more customer before the party starts. Go ahead and pick."

"Him." Tabii pointed at a man who had just walked in. He had sun-shade skin and curly black hair with a set of mint-green eyes. Lovetta looked at her mother and was confused by the expression of anger and shock on Nikki's face.

"No, no. I've got him." She went over with a tight-lipped look on her face. "Hello, sir."

He looked up at her apologetically. Lovetta tilted her head to get a better look.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Welcome to Campbell's Diner. What can I get you today?" She had a massive fake smile.

"Um… I didn't come here to order anything."

"Please, order something."

"Okay. Pie, I guess…?" She nodded stiffly and walked over to the counter, where she took a piece of coconut-cream pie.

"Here's your pie!"

To Lovetta's shock, Nikki smashed the pie into the guy's face. Everyone gasped.

"Wait, she's allowed to do that?! I want to do that!" Tabii yelped.

"No, she's not!" hissed Lizzie. Lovetta expected the man to start yelling and cussing, but he sighed and nodded.

"I deserve that," he told Nikki.

"Damn right you do. Get out, now, before I do something I might regret." He held up his hands in surrender.

"You got it. It was great to see you." His eyes landed on Lovetta and Lizzie, both of whom were very confused. "And you too, Lizard."

"Get. Out!" He grabbed a handful of napkins as Nikki pushed him towards the door. It opened as David and Gwen entered the diner.

"Nikki, what's going on?" Gwen asked as David stared at the man.

"Max?" he whispered in a voice that Lovetta could hear. Her heart pounded.

 _His name is Max._

* * *

"Yeah, I'm back," Max sighed, wiping the last of the pie off his face. "Figured I'd see Nikki first thing—"

"Mom, who is he?"

Max looked down in surprise to see the little girl with dark green hair he'd seen sitting with Lizzie. Nikki put her hands on the little girl's shoulders as she knelt down so they were eye-to-eye.

"Lovey, I need you to go to the car with Grandma and Grandpa, okay?"

"Okay." The girl nodded and David led her outside. Everyone else in the diner took the cue to get the hell out.

Nikki didn't get mad often, but when she did, it was best to both stay out of the way and not be the cause of her anger. Max knew that from experience. And today, _he_ was the reason for her being pissed off. He gave her a look and she narrowed her eyes.

"What?!"

"You obviously want to scream at me. Let's get it over with so we can talk this through like adults."

"Okay! Let's start with the fact that—oh, I don't know—you _left me_?! And you didn't even _say_ anything! I got a shitty _note in my locker_ telling me that you were leaving and not coming back! Do you have _any_ idea how much that _hurt_?! I _loved you_! I gave you so much, and you just threw it all away like it meant _nothing_ to you! And now you're back, almost _eleven fucking years later_ , saying you want to 'talk through this like adults'. You're a goddamn _asshole_ , Max, and you don't get the right to talk through this!" She finished, panting, tears streaming down her face as almost eleven years of keeping it all in. Max took a napkin from one of the tables and handed it to her.

"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?"

"An apology isn't going to fix what you did." She wiped her face and sniffed. "You know that."

"I thought it would be a good first step." He reached for her hand, then pulled back with a sheepish look. "Why don't we sit down?"

"Yeah. Good idea." They sat down in the booth nearby. There was awkward silence for a moment before Max tapped his fingers on the table nervously.

"So… how have you been?"

"I've been keeping busy. My… my mom kicked me out after you left, and David and Gwen took me in. I think they were in shock after everything that happened. I've been working here for about seven years now."

"Pay must be shitty."

"It's Campbell. What'd you expect?" They both laughed before quickly becoming quiet again. It was then Max remembered the little girl.

"What about the girl? The one who called you Mom? I mean, I know she's your daughter, but…"

"Lovetta. She… she just turned ten." Max blinked and quickly did the math in his head before his eyes widened.

"You mean… fuck. Shit. Holy shit, Nikki. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"I found out after you left. You couldn't have known. But… would you have stayed, had you known?"

"No, and it's not because I didn't care about you. It's _because_ I care about you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain when we're not somewhere so… public. It's a very sensitive subject."

"What, did you get some _other_ girl pregnant?"

"Nope. You're the only girl I've ever slept with." Nikki sighed, then checked her watch.

"Well, it was good to see you, I guess, but it's time to celebrate a decade of my daughter's existence. That means everyone who wasn't invited to the party has to leave." She stood up and he grabbed her wrist.

"Please, let me meet our daughter. I missed ten fucking years and I don't want to miss any more."

"Fine. You can stay for now, but you have to leave afterwards."

"I can deal with that."

He watched as the guests came back into the diner, including David, Gwen, Lizzie, and Lovetta. Max could see how she took after both him and Nikki, which broke his heart a little. She was his daughter. He had a kid. And he'd taken after his birth father by not being there for her.

"Hey, Lovey," Nikki called. The ten-year-old skipped over to them, looking up at Max in interest.

"Are you gonna tell me who this guy is?" she asked.

"Yeah. Lovetta, this is Max. Your dad." Lovetta's magenta eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"H-he's my dad? For real?"

"For real." Lovetta's face broke into a grin as she hugged Max, much to the surprise of both her parents.

"I can't believe it! My wish came true!"

"Your wish?" Max inquired.

"I've only wished for one thing for the past five birthdays—to be able to meet my dad. This is the best birthday ever." Nikki bit her lip and Tabii put her hand on her chest.

"That is _adorable_!" the blonde squealed.

"You're gonna stay, right?" Lovetta asked, looking up at Max.

"I missed your first ten years. I'm not planning on missing any more." Lovetta grinned. "I wish I'd known it was your birthday. I'd have gotten you a present."

"You showed up. That's the only present I need."

"Guess I bought this for nothing," a voice said from the doorway. They looked to see Neil, holding a wrapped box. "If all you needed was Max, I would've tracked him down a long time ago."

"It's the only present I need from _him_. You still have to give me one."

"Dammit." Neil set the gift on the table and glanced at Max as Nikki took their daughter over to talk to Lizzie and her grandparents. "So, you're finally back after you ruined her life?"

"Neil, there's more to it than that. I couldn't come back."

"Let me guess—you were _ashamed_."

"I didn't even know Lovetta _existed_ until about half an hour ago! How could I be ashamed of what I didn't know about?!"

"It doesn't matter! So much shit happened after you left."

"I know!" Max got in Neil's face. "If I'd had a choice, I wouldn't have gone. But as it was, it was either leave or watch Nikki get killed."

"What?!"

"I'm not a fucking sadistic monster. I'd rather kill myself than watch her die."

Max headed over to his daughter, leaving Neil shocked and open-mouthed.

* * *

 **An experimental story that's shockingly common in other fandoms. This is the first one for Makki that I know of. Where has Max been? Why did he leave? How has Nikki dealt with being a single mom and being disowned by her biological mother?**

 **You'll find out some of these answers next chapter.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. First Fight

"Any idea on how long you're staying?"

Max looked up at his adoptive father as the party wound down and they were cleaning up. Lizzie had taken Lovetta and Nikki home, so Max was alone with David and Gwen.

"I'm hoping to stay for a long time," Max told him, running a hand through his curly hair. "It's like I told Nikki—I missed ten years. I'm not missing any more."

"Well, that's good."

"I'm gonna start looking for a job and an apartment. That's a good place to start."

"You know, you _could_ stay with us." Gwen's head snapped up from where she was dumping deflated balloons in the trash.

"David, are you sure?" she asked.

"We have room in the basement, if Max doesn't mind it."

"No, I don't," Max sighed. "I spent most of high school hanging out down there anyway. And I can still live with my daughter."

"It's great that you want to be a parent, but where the hell were you?" Gwen's voice said she wasn't going to drop the topic.

"I can't talk about it right now. Just know that if I had a choice, I would've stayed here."

They gave him an odd look as he dug his keys out of his pocket.

"You're still in the same house, right? I know the address."

"Yeah, we are," David replied. "We'll see you at the house."

"Bye."

Max headed out to his car and started the engine. Once he was on the road, he let the gravity of everything that had happened that day wash over him. Old memories he wanted to bury began to resurface as he thought of being a father.

 _You are my_ **son** _, Max, and you will do what I say!_

 _You gave up being my dad when you walked out on my mother!_

 _Listen, you little shit. I'll give you twenty-four hours, but at the end of that, you're coming with me._

 _Oh, or what, motherfucker?!_

 _Either you come with me or I hurt everyone you care about. And that little girlfriend of yours that you_ **love** _so dearly? The one with the beautiful body?_

 _Don't you_ **dare** _fucking touch her, you asshole!_

 _She'll be first unless you do what I say._

 _…you bastard._

 _So what's it going to be, boy? Are you going to listen to your father or let her die?_

He pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, taking out his housekey for the first time in almost eleven years and unlocking the front door. The house looked the same as it had when he lived there. It was almost completely dark, save for the upstairs hallway light that was still on. He sighed and headed for the basement door.

"Gwen? David?"

He turned to see Nikki sitting up on the couch.

"It's just me," he told her.

"Oh." There was an awkward silence. "Come sit down."

Max sat down on the couch at the opposite end, not wanting to invade her space.

"You promised there was an explanation for why you left. Are you going to tell me?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "It was because someone threatened to kill you if I didn't leave."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because you were my girlfriend, and they were someone who wanted me to help them. The quickest way to get me to agree was to threaten you. And trust me—they aren't the type to bluff about shit like that. If I didn't do it, you were going to be killed."

"Who was it?"

"That I can't tell you, but they've been arrested. That's why I was able to come back." He stared at the coffee table that had several crayon drawings on it. "I was hoping to apologize and give you some closure on all this."

"Why did you leave a note instead of telling me goodbye?"

"I was afraid that if I talked to you face-to-face, I wouldn't be able to leave."

"…so, what do we do now? We can't go back to the way things were when you left."

"Yeah, I figured that wasn't an option. I guess the only thing we can do is try and move on, right?"

"Right." She checked her watch. "Well, I've got to go to bed. I've got a shift tomorrow after I drop Lovetta off."

"And I've got to set up in the basement. Good night."

"Night."

She walked up the stairs and he watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore. His throat tightened as the words he wanted to tell her remained unspoken. A truth that he'd realized that day.

 _I still love you, Nikki._

* * *

Lovetta woke up before her alarm went off. It was a rare occurrence, but she'd had a dream that felt real. She _hoped_ it was real, but that wasn't likely. The ten-year-old slid out of bed and got dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast. Her mother and grandparents were already in the kitchen.

"Morning," she greeted them, sitting in her normal spot.

"Hey, Lovey," Nikki replied. "How'd you sleep?"

"I had a dream that my dad came home and you threw a piece of pie in his face."

"Vet, that wasn't a dream," Gwen stated. "Your dad _did_ come home. And your mom did throw a piece of pie in his face."

"It was real! Yay!" She clapped her hands and heard the basement door open. Her dad walked into the kitchen, his curly hair looking as messy as Lovetta's.

 _Guess I got my curls from him!_

"Morning, Max!" David chirped. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"It's like, seven in the morning," Max sighed, going over to the coffee maker. "I need my coffee."

"You never _were_ able to function without it," Nikki commented, handing their daughter a plate of bacon and eggs.

"What can I say? I hate getting up early." He glanced at Lovetta and smiled. "I don't know why our daughter's a morning person."

"I'm not!" Lovetta whined. "I'm a night owl!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I only woke up early today because I couldn't go back to sleep!" She puffed out her cheeks and Max couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't tease her!" Nikki admonished.

"Sorry." He took his mug out from under the coffee maker and started drinking it.

"You don't add stuff to your coffee?" Lovetta asked, intrigued.

"Nah. I prefer it black and bitter. None of the extra crap." Lovetta shrugged and ate her breakfast. Once she was done, she ran upstairs to brush her teeth and her hair before coming back downstairs to see her mother checking her watch.

"Time to go, Lovey," Nikki told her.

"Can Max come, too?" Nikki glanced at her ex, who shrugged and nodded.

"I'm willing to go, but it's up to the boss."

"Is Mom the boss?"

"Yes, your mom's the boss. That's the way it's always worked."

"It's fine with me," Nikki sighed. "Let's go."

"We can take my car," Max offered.

"Sure. Why not?"

The three headed outside and got into Max's car. Lovetta made herself comfortable in the backseat while Nikki buckled up and Max started the engine. He backed down the driveway and followed Nikki's instructions.

"What kind of job do you have?" Lovetta asked Max.

"I don't have one at the moment," he replied, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm going to start looking, though, so I can help out."

"You mean pay child support?" Both parents looked at each other, then glanced at their daughter.

"How do you know what that is?"

"This boy named James at school has divorced parents, and his dad has to pay child support to James's mom."

"Yeah. I was supposed to do that, too, but I didn't even know you existed until yesterday. I'm not leaving again, though. I promise."

"That's good."

They pulled up to the school and Lovetta glanced out the window to see Alexis Winters waiting there. She ducked down.

"I want to spend the day with Max!" she declared quickly.

"Vet, you have to go to school," Max told her. "I want to spend time with you, too, but you're ten and the law requires you have to go to school unless you're sick."

"Please? I don't wanna go." She looked out the window and Max followed her gaze to Alexis.

"Is she giving you a hard time?"

"Yeah… because her mom keeps telling everyone not to go near me or our family."

"Lovetta, you tell her to mind her own damn business next time she starts harassing you," Nikki stated bluntly. "She has no right to judge our family."

"Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Max."

"Wait!" Lovetta looked at her dad and he wrote something down on a scrap of paper he'd pulled out of his center console. "This is my phone number. If you need something and your mom isn't available, call me."

Lovetta got out of the car and watched her parents drive away. She then turned towards the school… and was immediately seen by Alexis and her two bitchy friends—Lauren and Bianca.

"Well, if it isn't Lovetta," Alexis sneered.

"Hi, Alexis," Lovetta mumbled.

"Who was that guy who dropped you off?"

"His name is Max, and he's—"

"One of your mom's clients, right? My mom says that the only relationships teen moms like yours get are on the street corner, and even _those_ are temporary. How much is he paying her?"

"Shut up, Alexis." Lovetta couldn't believe the words that came out of her own mouth. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course I do. Your mom slept around when she was in high school and your dad left her when he realized what a whore she was. Then she was stuck with you—an ugly little bitch who doesn't know when to shut her mouth."

"That's… that's not true! My mom only loved my dad!"

"Sluts and whores are incapable of love, dumbass. And your dad probably ran out on her when he found out _you_ were—"

"Shut the fuck up, Alexis! Before I make you!"

Lovetta slapped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

Alexis was pissed off.

"Don't act so high and mighty! You wanna make me shut up?! Then meet me on the playground during recess and we'll settle this, one on one. Unless you're a scared little slut like your mom!"

Lovetta bit her lip as the bell rang for them to go to class.

* * *

"Hey, Gwen, any clue where I should apply?"

Gwen glanced up from her laptop to see Max staring at his computer screen.

"For a high school dropout?" she inquired. "Your options are severely limited."

"For your information, I have a GED."

"A GED gives you a few more options, but not many."

"Says the woman who has _two_ useless degrees."

"At least I have a fucking job, you little shit."

"Can you _help me_ instead of berating me?"

"Sure. What kind of job are you looking for?"

"Something that I can do and still be there for Lovetta. Like, I dunno… maybe work as a temp or something?"

"Yeah, that would work for you. Apply at an agency."

Suddenly, Max's phone went off. He didn't recognize the number, but he still answered.

"Hello?" he asked.

 _"Is this Max Greene?"_ the woman on the other end asked.

"Yeah, this is him."

 _"My name is Katrina McCormick. I'm the principal at Sleepy Peak Elementary. I'm calling because Lovetta has gotten into a bit of trouble and we couldn't get ahold of her mother. This was the number she asked us to call. What is your relation to her?"_

"I'm her father. What kind of trouble are we talking about?"

 _"She was in a fight on the playground. Could you come and pick her up? I'll explain more then."_

"Yeah, I'm on my way." Max hung up and closed his laptop. "Lovetta got in a fight."

"See, I told David that there's no way _you two_ would end up with a daughter who doesn't curse and doesn't get in fights, but he insisted that Lovetta is a pacifist."

"Well, at any rate, I've gotta go pick her up." He let out a sigh and grabbed his keys. "I'll be back."

At the elementary school, he found his way to the office without a problem. There, he found Lovetta with dirt on one cheek and a bandage on the other. It reminded him of Nikki back when they'd first met as kids—a tomboy who loved to play in the mud.

"So, what happened?" Max asked his daughter.

"I got in a fight with Alexis Winters," she mumbled.

"Mr. Greene?"

He looked up to see a woman with dark red hair pulled back in a bun. She had a no-nonsense expression on her pale face.

"You must be Principal McCormick," he stated, holding out a hand. "I'm Max Greene."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Come in my office. Lovetta, you too."

The father and daughter pair headed into the office, where Max could see the skinny blonde girl from earlier sitting in a chair. A woman who must've been her mother was sitting next to her, a sour expression on her face as she viewed Lovetta with disdain.

"Now, we're here to get to the bottom of this—" Miss McCormick stated before the woman cut her off.

"Honestly, Katrina! It's obvious what happened! Lovetta is a disturbed little girl with terrible morals who attacked my little angel!" She stood up. "Expel her! Trash like that shouldn't be in our town!"

"Mrs. Winters, I'm going to ask that you please sit down," Miss McCormick sighed. "I would like to hear what the girls have to say before we decide on punishment."

"That sounds fair to me," Max agreed. Mrs. Winters glared at him.

"I would like to speak to Lovetta and Max first. Mrs. Winters, please take Alexis outside."

The bitchy woman left with an offended huff, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Lovetta, would you like to tell us what happened?" Lovetta nodded.

"This morning, when Max and Mom dropped me off, Alexis started getting in my face. She said all this horrible stuff about my family and I told her to shut up. She got mad and then said that we would settle it on the playground at recess. I went to defend myself because she'd just track me down later if I didn't show up."

"Ah." Miss McCormick nodded. "Who threw the first punch?"

"Alexis did, when I said I didn't want to fight. She got mad and knocked me over so she could hit me a whole bunch. I fought back so I wouldn't get hurt too badly."

"That _does_ line up with what a few of your classmates told me."

"Hang on a second," Max objected. "Lovetta, what exactly did Alexis say that was so bad?"

"She started calling Mom a… I can't say it. There were a lot of bad words involved."

"You can say them," Miss McCormick assured her. "Trying to stop kids from cursing is pointless. I've learned that over the years."

"She said Mom was a slut and a whore who could only find a relationship on the corner. And that I was like her—an ugly little bitch who didn't know when to shut her mouth."

"Did she say anything else?"

"Yeah. She also said that my dad ran out on my mom because he found out she was pregnant with me. That was when I told her to shut the fuck up. Then she told me that we would settle it on the playground and if I didn't show up, I was a scared little slut like my mom."

"I don't know about you, Miss McCormick, but that sounds like Alexis was the one who started this whole thing," Max told the principal.

"It sounds like that to me, too. You're her father, you said? We haven't seen you before."

"Well, circumstances beyond my control kept me from being here, but I'm back and I intend to stay."

"We have Lovetta's side of the story, but unfortunately, I also have to hear Alexis's. More than likely, it'll paint Lovetta as the instigator. Could you send her in? Oh, and tell Jessica to stay in the waiting room. I don't want her influencing her daughter's testimony."

"You got it." Max led his daughter out, inwardly fuming as he looked at the blonde pair. "She wants to see just Alexis."

The skinny girl headed into the office, her nose stuck up in the air in a snobby fashion. Max and Lovetta sat down, Jessica (Mrs. Winters) giving them a look of disdain.

"Who the hell do you think you are, coming in and acting like her father?" she sneered.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Max Greene, and I _am_ her father."

"Really? Then where have you been?"

"I would've been here, but a situation prevented me from staying."

"That's what all men say, but I know what happened."

"Oh, yeah? Enlighten me."

"You had a one-night stand with her mother in high school and that abomination was the result. You left to avoid responsibility. But thank God you're here now."

"Why's that?"

"Because now you can raise your daughter with _much_ better morals than that green-haired harlot who gave birth to her."

Suddenly, Max knew _exactly_ who had been telling Alexis that bullshit about Nikki.

"Okay, Jessica. How about _you_ tell me where you get off on talking that bullshit about Nikki?"

" _Excuse me_?"

"You heard me, bitch. You're talking bullshit about Nikki and I'm not going to stand for it."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm _saying_ to shut the fuck up before you get smacked the fuck up. And get your facts straight before you start feeding that bullshit to your daughter so she can bully _my daughter_."

"My Alexis is _not_ a bully! She's an—"

"Angel, yeah, but here's the thing. People aren't perfect. If they're perfect, they're either Jesus or a robot, and I don't think you want to claim Alexis is either."

" _You're_ giving me parenting tips, when you ran out on your family for over a _decade_?!"

"You don't know anything about me. I know I'm not perfect, but I also know that parents are supposed to care about their damn kids all the fucking time, whether it be when they get in a fight or they need somebody to listen to their problems. And I can tell you right now, Jessica, that you are fucking _failing_ as a parent if you're excusing that kind of behavior from your kid. I'm trying to be better. Maybe you should, too."

Jessica opened and closed her mouth, unable to come up with a retort for that. The office door opened and Miss McCormick motioned for the three to come back inside.

"Well, based off all the accounts I've heard today, both girls are going to be punished," Miss McCormick told them. "However, Alexis, your punishment will be more severe."

"That's not fair!" Alexis whined. "She bit me!"

"It's called 'asserting dominance'," Max chuckled.

"I agree with Alexis!" Jessica snapped. "Why is she being punished more?"

"Because, Jessica, we have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying at this school. And from what I've heard, what your daughter did today is only the tip of the iceberg. Alexis will serve three days of out-of-school suspension, followed by three days of in-school suspension. And she'll also be required to write a letter of apology to Lovetta, Max, _and_ Lovetta's mother. Lovetta, you're suspended for three days. That is final."

"My daughter is _not_ going to be subjected to that kind of humiliation! I'm taking her out and putting her in a different school with a more reasonable principal! Come on, Alexis!"

The blonde girl was led out of the office and the door slammed shut behind them. Miss McCormick breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank _God_ she's gone."

"Is Lovetta still suspended?" Max inquired.

"I'm afraid so, Max. She has to be punished for this type of behavior."

"Well, I can promise you that it won't happen again. Come on, Lovetta."

* * *

Nikki blinked.

"She's _what_?"

"Suspended for three days for getting in a fight with Alexis Winters," Max repeated. "Trust me, the brat had it coming."

"Alexis or Lovetta?"

"Alexis, of course. Lovetta was defending her family. That's a sign of a good kid."

"Oh, believe me, I know. So, what's the damage?"

"Lovetta's the worse off. She's going to have a black eye, from what the nurse said, but she _did_ manage to bite Alexis."

"Aw! She takes after me!" Nikki smiled. "I always told her, in a fight, you have to assert dominance over your opponent. It's the best way to win."

"I'm just happy she's already learned not to take shit from assholes like Jessica and Alexis."

"So, how did Alexis get punished?"

"Three days each of in-school and out-of-school suspension, plus a letter of apology to us and Lovetta. Jessica got pissed off and said Alexis isn't going to that school anymore."

"Yes! We don't have to deal with her!"

"I also told her she's failing as a parent for excusing her daughter's behavior and that she needs to step it up."

"You gave her parenting advice?"

"Hey, a parent should care about their kid all the time, not just when they're in trouble."

"I agree, and you're being a great dad so far."

"Thanks, Nik."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Nikki coughed nervously.

"Well, we'd better figure out what we're going to do with her for the next three days while she's suspended."

"Hey, I could spend time with her when I'm not filling out job applications."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Are you two gonna kiss?"

They turned, startled, to see their child standing there.

"No, we're not, Vet," Max sighed. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I came to say good night. So… night, Max! Night, Mom!" She ran upstairs and Max glanced back at Nikki.

"I think every kid from a family like hers dreams of the day their parents get back together," Max commented. "I did for a while. But… it's probably not going to happen."

"At the very least we can parent her together."

"Yeah."

"Good night, Max."

"Night, Nik."

* * *

 **Okay, so funny story: I was in the middle of writing that tense confrontation with Max and Jessica and really into it—you know, feeling the tension. My dad was watching football—the American version—in the living room, about ten feet from my bedroom door. Because he's a dad who's super into football, he started yelling at the TV all of a sudden, which startled me while I was writing. I jumped and started laughing, which completely broke my immersion into the scene. So, if it feels different after Max tells Jessica people aren't perfect, that's why. It was part of a startle reflex.**

 **Anyway, I didn't write the actual fight between Alexis and Lovetta because I didn't feel like it was important to the story. Maybe I'll write it as an extra story later on, but I want to focus on the family right now. Also, Nikki would totally tell her daughter to bite her opponent in a fight to assert dominance. Try to change my mind.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. Blind Date

"You should go on a blind date."

Nikki sighed and facepalmed at Tabii's suggestion.

"Really? _That's_ what you think I should do?"

"I mean, it's been almost eleven years since you were in a real relationship."

"Yeah, because it seems like every guy I meet is either scared off by the fact that I'm a mom, or they think I'm 'easy' because I had a kid at seventeen. Also, I don't _need_ a guy."

"You don't?" Tabii seemed surprised by this notion. "You don't want to have someone to spend your life with, or to sleep with?"

"I've been doing fine on my own. Plus, with Max back, I'm looking into getting my certification."

"For what?"

"Being a park ranger over at the Lake Lilac State Park."

"And work _outdoors_? Ooh, that'd be a good way to meet a guy with a common interest. Speaking of which…" She pulled out her phone. "I met this guy a while back, and he was a total gentleman. Not my type, but he's perfect for you."

"What makes you think I want a gentleman?"

"Need I remind you that Max is an asshole? Left you to raise your daughter alone for ten years?"

"Hey, he's getting better."

"Jesus Christ, you're still in love with him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not! I'm over him. Look, I'll prove it. Set me up with that guy and I guarantee I'll go out on a date with him. Give him my number so he can text me."

"Yes! You won't regret this, Nikki. Plus, if things go well, you can move out of David and Gwen's house and never see Max again!"

"Sure, whatever." A silver SUV drove into the parking lot where they were waiting.

"Well, speak of the devil," snickered Tabii.

"Shut up. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good luck!"

Nikki got into the passenger seat and buckled up.

"So, what were you two talking about?" he asked as he turned the car around.

"Tabii thinks I should start dating again."

"You haven't been seeing anyone?"

"Like I told her, most guys are either scared off because I'm a mom and they don't want to take responsibility, or they think I'm 'easy' because I had a baby at seventeen."

"You're anything but easy. We didn't start having sex until we'd been dating for two years because you told me I had to work for it."

"And look how that turned out."

"Jesus Christ." Her phone beeped with a text from an unknown number.

 _Hey, are you Nikki? Tabii gave me your number and said you were interested in going out with me._

 _My name's Jason, by the way._

 _ **Yeah, this is Nikki. I'm interested.**_

 _ **When do you want to go out?**_

 _How about Saturday night? Meet me at The Only Bar at seven._

 _ **Okay. I'll be there!**_

"Who are you texting?"

"The guy Tabii's setting me up with. We're going out on Saturday."

"Wow. That soon?"

"What's wrong with me dating?"

"N-nothing. It's just that you and I knew each other for a while—"

"And now we're adults. I can judge whether or not someone's an asshole for myself, thank you very much."

"I know. I'm sorry that I got on your case."

"Thank you. And I'm going to need a ride because none of you trust me to drive."

"You forget Christmas is in fucking December! You might forget you're driving and crash into something!"

"Okay, that's fair."

"And yeah, I'll drive you there. Where are you going?"

"The Only Bar."

"Ah, the site of our first make-out session."

"No, it wasn't. That was Sasha's party, freshman y—" She glared at him. "Real nice, Max. Don't pull that bullshit."

"Hey, the three years I was with you were the best three years of my life. And you're the only girl I've ever been with."

"In the almost eleven years you were gone, you didn't date _anybody else_?"

"Nope. Well, there were a couple of girls that I went out with, but they were one-time things. I didn't sleep with them."

"Oh." Her voice was very quiet.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Nikki."

"Seriously, I'm fine." They pulled into the driveway and headed inside.

 _You left to protect me and you stayed loyal to me._

* * *

Lovetta made a face as she sat on her mother's bed, watching Nikki get ready for her date.

"I don't want you to go out with this guy," she whined.

"Lovey, it's just one date."

"But you're only supposed to be with Max! This guy might be an asshole!"

"Tabii told me he's a gentleman and I'm inclined to believe her. And as far as me being with Max goes, I don't think that's going to happen."

"I want it to. I want it to be me, you, him, Aunt Lizzie, and Grandma and Grandpa."

"Really? You want it to be that way?" Nikki was smiling as she sat down next to her daughter and put an arm around her shoulders."

"Yeah, but I want you, me, and Max to be in our own house and… maybe a little brother or sister?"

"Lovey, I'm sorry, but me and Max broke up a long time ago. We aren't getting back together." She kissed her daughter on the temple before standing up and grabbing a yellow blouse out of the closet. "This one will work."

"You've still gotta do your hair and makeup."

"You're absolutely right. I'm keeping it simple. If he doesn't like me naturally, then he's not worth my time." Nikki picked out a red skirt that went down to a few inches above her knees. The red and yellow made a very nice pairing with her mint-colored hair. She brushed her hair out and held it away from her face with a yellow flower clip. A little bit of eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, and lip-gloss and she was ready to go.

"Good luck, Mom," Lovetta stated. Nikki smiled and put on a necklace for a finishing touch—a necklace, she remembered, that had been a gift from Max on their second anniversary. It was a forest-green pendant that had cost him a couple hundred dollars to buy and have put on a gold chain, and it was still her favorite piece of jewelry.

"Nikki, let's go!" Max called. She gave Lovetta a hug and headed downstairs.

Max glanced upward at the sound of Nikki's footsteps and felt his heart pounding. She looked even more beautiful than she had in high school—a more mature and quiet beauty that he appreciated and wished he'd never had to leave.

"Max, you're staring," she stated, snapping him out of his trance.

"S-sorry. You look great—are you wearing a skirt?"

"Yes, I'm wearing a skirt. Is that a problem?"

His mouth felt dry. If she wore a skirt on a date when they'd been in high school, it had meant that they were going to end up tangled in his sheets by the end of the night. He was hoping that wasn't still the case when she went out because she was meeting this guy for the first time and didn't want her to sleep with him on the first date.

"No, it's not a problem. Let's go."

She climbed into the passenger seat and he started the engine. The ride to the restaurant was almost completely silent, save for the hum of the engine and general sounds of Saturday-night traffic. Max being quiet like this was unusual; he always had something to say. She suspected he didn't approve of her dating as much as he claimed he did, but she decided to ignore that for now.

"Have fun on your date," he told her as he pulled up to the curb. "Don't drink too much; we both know how you get when you're drunk."

"Yeah, that's why I don't really drink. That and I'm trying to set a good example for Lovetta." She got out of the car, then was surprised when he did, too. "Um, Max, what are you doing?"

"We don't know this guy, so I'm going to sit in a corner and keep an eye out in case things go south. If they do, I can pull you out of there."

"So the Sasha System."

"Exactly."

"Okay, fine. But don't get any ideas."

The Sasha System was something they'd come up with when they'd become friends with Sasha (hence the name). They'd named it that because it was easy to remember, but they used it for all their friends. The way the system worked was that on a first date, there would be a friend in the area to pull the person on the date out if things started to go bad. It had saved more than one of them from having a boyfriend or girlfriend from hell, and Nikki was willing to use it if Max didn't take it too far.

She walked in first and spotted Jason. He had pale brown hair and a wholesome look to him—like the love interest in a high-school romantic comedy who played football. He was wearing a crisp, pale blue button-up shirt and had a smile for her as she sat down at the table. Max walked in a minute later and sat down in a spot where he had a good view of what was going on with her.

"So, you're Nikki," Jason stated.

"Yeah, that's me," she said with a nod, smiling. "You're Jason?"

"That's right." He leaned back and stretched as the waitress brought them their menus. "You look great. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here."

"Anyway, you know what you want?"

"I'll just have a soda to start."

"Not a drinker?"

"Not a fan of alcohol in general."

"You don't mind if I order a beer, do you?"

"Not at all."

* * *

Jason ended up drinking a few beers and he got a lot more chatty. Nikki felt a little uncomfortable, seeing as how dates she went on where alcohol was involved rarely ended well, but she was tempted to believe he was different. Then he paid the check, but what happened next…

"You know, I've been on quite a few dates," he told her, beer in his hand. "Not one of the girls I've gone out with has been as hot as you."

"Thank you?"

"So, you ready for a drink?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Yeah, I figured you would be. Then how about we go back to my place and talk some more?"

And she was done with him.

"Sorry, no. I've got to get home." She stood up and grabbed her purse, heading outside as Max spotted her. He paid for the soda he'd been drinking (he'd opted away from alcohol so he could be on high-alert) and got up to follow her when Jason headed out.

"C'mon, Nikki," he chuckled, grabbing her wrist. "Don't be such a tease."

"I'm not being a tease. I'm not interested in what you're offering."

"It's been years since you've done anything. Don't you want to try again?"

"I said _no_ , Jason." He leaned in closer and she could smell the beer. His body pressed hers against the wall, making it impossible for her to move or fight back. That didn't stop her from trying.

"It's a shame that you wasted your time with whatever bastard knocked you up with that baby, but you should _really_ share with the rest of us." Again, he leaned in, but this time, he was going for a kiss. She turned away the best she could, but he wasn't going to have that. His lips brushed hers before suddenly, he was ripped away.

"She said _no_ , motherfucker!"

 _Oh, thank God for Max!_

She watched as her ex shoved Jason to the ground, the drunk's head hitting the sidewalk. That didn't stop the wannabe rapist from shooting right back up and trying to punch Max, who dodged it with ease and grabbed his wrist. He proceeded to pin Jason's arm behind his back and slam him back into the ground.

"You listen and you listen _good_ , asshole," he growled. " _Never_ touch her again. When a woman says no, she means _no_. Do you understand me?"

"She was asking for it."

"No, she wasn't. Do you understand, motherfucker, or do I need to beat the shit out of you to imprint it in your thick-ass skull?!"

"I understand."

One of the waiters stuck his head out of the restaurant to see what was going on.

"He just tried to assault her," Max stated. "Call the cops. I'm taking her home."

"Yes, sir."

Nikki felt her mouth go dry.

 _Where did you learn to fight like that?_

"C'mon, Nik."

She followed him to the car and got in, silent as he'd been on the ride there as he started the engine. It was then she noticed a scar on his right hand—one he hadn't had back in high school. It looked like a burn of some kind.

"Thank you, Max," she sighed. "This was a terrible idea. I never should've gone out with him."

"You're welcome. That's what the Sasha System is for, right?"

"Yeah. I guess." She buried her face in her hands. "God, I'm so embarrassed…"

"Don't be, okay? He's an asshole who's getting what he deserves, and you deserve better. You're the most fucking amazing person I've ever met and one day, you'll find a guy who's not a total asshole like him. Or like me."

"Max, you're not a total asshole."

"Yes, I am."

"No, if you were a total asshole, you would've let him do what he wanted. You kicked his ass for touching me. That proves you're not a total asshole. I'd say you're more along the lines of… fifty percent of an asshole." He chuckled half-heartedly.

"Thanks, Nikki." He glanced at her and noticed the pendant she was wearing. "You… you kept it."

"What?"

"The necklace. You kept it." She nodded and took a deep breath.

"After you left, I was going to get rid of everything you'd ever given me—burn it in a bonfire. Then I found out about Lovetta and I knew I had to keep it all, to maybe give to her one day. Plus, this necklace is the only piece of jewelry I ever really wear."

"That means a lot."

"Hey, where'd you learn to do that stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"The fighting. You couldn't fight for shit back in high school."

"I picked it up while I was away. It comes in handy a lot more than I'd like it to."

"Teach me?"

"You can already kick my ass. You don't need any more training."

"Aw." She pouted and looked adorable doing it.

"Maybe we'll teach Lovetta, though." He gave her a smile, a genuine smile that was rare from him.

"Yeah, maybe."

* * *

"What do you mean he went home?"

"It's exactly what I said, sir. He went back to the green-haired girl you threatened. And they have a child."

"A child?" Vihaan Acharya was intrigued. "How old?"

"A little girl, ten years old."

"Hm…" He smirked. "He needs to pay for betraying me."

"Agreed," his henchman stated, nodding. "Your son is a discredit to your family. How should we begin?"

"Send in Koresh and Applewhite. They can help us get started."

"Yes, sir." The man nodded again. "Right away."

"You're going to learn what it means to betray your family, Max…"

* * *

 **OKAY. HERE COMES THE PLOT!**

 **In all seriousness, though, as I write this note, I'm sitting in my room, smelling like celery and smoke, and ready to get this out before tomorrow. This isn't going to be a long story, I'm afraid, but I hope you share it with your friends so they can enjoy this, too!**

 **Also, those of you who read my story 'The Princess, The Thief, and The Alchemist' might recognize Jason as the minor villain from that story. This is his only appearance here. Don't worry.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	4. Birth of a Daughter

_Eleven years ago…_

"You still haven't heard from him?"

Nikki shook her head as she and Neil headed to their lockers.

"I told you—he hasn't replied to any of my texts or anything. And he wasn't at school today."

"Did you ask David and Gwen?"

"They told me he left the house this morning and they haven't seen him since. David's worried, but Gwen said he's probably playing hooky." She spun the dial on her locker and snapped it open. A folded piece of paper with her name on it fell to the floor. Out of confusion, she picked it up.

It was Max's handwriting. She knew that for sure. After knowing him for seven years, it was as familiar to her as her own. And it wasn't unusual for him to leave notes in her locker; he usually did it when he wanted to ask her on a fancier date than they usually went on.

"A note?" Neil asked.

"It's from Max."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"It's his handwriting. He writes like he wants to dig the pen or pencil into someone's eyes instead of the paper."

"Jesus Christ."

She unfolded the paper and could see a significantly longer message than he usually left.

 _Nikki,_

 _I am so, so, so sorry for leaving a note instead of talking to you, but I can't do this face-to-face._

 _I'm leaving Sleepy Peak. I can't stay here anymore. Unfortunately, that means that I can't be with you. It has nothing to do with me not loving you—because believe me, I do. I love you so fucking much. And it's because I love you that I have to leave. The world I'm going into is more dangerous than any of the other shit we've been through, and I'm not dragging you into it._

 _So, yeah, I've become that douchebag who breaks up with a girl through a note instead of to her face. God, I hate this. At least it wasn't a text, right? At any rate, I'm not coming back until a problem I have is taken care of. It might never happen, so I wanted to give you one last goodbye._

 _Nikki, you are the best goddamn thing to ever happen to me. You are beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, spunky, and you've put up with me and my bullshit for seven years now. Four as a friend, three as my girlfriend. I was always told, before Gwen and David, that I was a piece of shit who didn't deserve anything good in his life. Then, it all seemed to happen at once. I met you, David got me away from my birth mom, Gwen became my stepmom, I got a little sister… I'm so grateful for all of it._

 _I love you. Nikki, I love you more than I can say. You make me feel like I'm worth something, and I wish I didn't have to leave. I don't_ **want** _to leave. I want to stay with you and get through the rest of the hell known as high school. But I can't. If I do, you'll get hurt. That's all I seem to do—get people hurt. At least I'm leaving so that you can have a clean slate and start over with a new guy. I want you to move on and forget about me._

 _Tell David and Gwen not to worry. I know what I'm doing and I trust they'll understand._

 _I hope you understand why I'm doing this._

 _Love,_

 _Max._

Nikki blinked as she reread the note. Her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Max was gone.

He'd _left her_.

"Nikki, what's wrong?" Neil asked, worried.

"He's gone."

"What?"

"Max _left_. He left Sleepy Peak and he gave me this note to say goodbye. He couldn't even say it to my face." She sniffed and shook her head. "God, what an asshole!"

"Let's go home," Neil offered gently. "We'll work this out."

She slammed her locker shut and followed him wordlessly out to the parking lot. They headed home, Nikki reading the note aloud to Neil as he drove.

"This doesn't feel right," Neil sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. "I mean, Max never outright says how he feels like this. He's baring his soul for you in _writing_."

"Um… he's talked like this a couple times. The soul-baring part, not the leaving-you-and-breaking-up-through-a-goddamn-note part."

"I've never heard it."

"He only does it when we're in… private."

"So, you're telling me that Max only gets this open when you two fuck?"

"Hey! Don't talk about it like that!"

"That's what it is, Nikki! You thought nobody knew? We're not _stupid_. You've spent more nights at his house than at home!"

"Shut up!" Tears were streaming down her face. "I trusted him!"

"Yeah, I did, too! This is such a shit-bag thing to do!"

Nikki felt nauseated, and it wasn't just from the fact that she'd been dumped through a note left in her locker. She'd been feeling that way for the past few days. She just hadn't mentioned it to anybody because she thought it was a passing bug. Now… now she wasn't so sure. There was a high possibility that it was a different cause—one she didn't want to admit because it meant something that would change her life in a permanent way.

* * *

Two lines.

Two pink lines.

Nikki's hands trembled with fear as she looked at the test in her hands. It was positive and there was no turning back now.

She was pregnant.

 _What am I going to do?_

Her mother was going to _kill her_. And it wasn't like she could call her father, either—he hadn't had contact with her since she was ten. He'd severed it in an effort to get over Candy, not realizing he was condemning his daughter to live with a woman who was only concerned about herself. Carl would side with Candy in whatever she was going to do. Max was gone.

Nikki sank to the floor of the bathroom, burying her face in her knees and letting the test drop to the floor. Despite the fact that her entire life was being thrown into chaos, there was a strange sense of calmness to the moment. She wasn't as alone as she thought; there was somebody depending on her, somebody growing inside her belly right now. Already she could feel an attachment, though the baby likely wasn't any bigger than her pinkie nail. She knew that this was going to be a commitment.

As she sat there, contemplating the situation, the door opened and Candy stuck her head in.

"Nicolette, what are you—" Her voice broke off as her eyes landed on the pregnancy test on the floor. "What the _hell_ is that?"

"A pregnancy test," Nikki replied, refusing to look her mother in the eye. Candy grabbed the test and looked at the result, her expression turning to anger rather than motherly worry.

"You're _pregnant_?!"

"Yes, _Mom_. I'm pregnant. And it's Max's baby, too." Her mother had never approved of Max due to the fact that he was more of a troublemaker than her daughter. She thought Nikki should be with a boy that could reign her in rather than encourage her. She hadn't made her disapproval a secret, either.

"That bastard. And he left you. I told you he would. I told you that when you started datin' him in the first place."

Nikki glared at the tile.

"Now, obviously, you're not havin' this baby."

"What—no! I'm having the baby!" Nikki leapt up so she was looking her mother in the eye.

"Nicolette, you're seventeen! You can barely take care of yourself!"

"No, Mom! This is _my_ baby. I want to keep it."

"You're not ready to be a mother!"

"And you weren't, either, when I came along! At least I'm sure who my baby's father is because I've only ever slept with one person!" Candy opened and closed her mouth. "I _know_ that you don't know who my real father is! That's why Dad left! Because he couldn't live with such a whore!"

" _You_ , a pregnant seventeen-year-old, are callin' _me_ a whore?!"

"Yes! Because you didn't want a baby! You wanted to have fun and party your entire life, but then _I_ came along and screwed it all up for you!"

"You don't talk to me that way! I am your _mother_!"

"Then _act like it_ and support me on this! Be my mom instead of pretending to be a slutty college student!"

 _WHAP!_

Nikki rested a hand on her cheek. Candy had just slapped her.

"Now, Nicolette, I'm givin' you a choice. Either you get rid of the baby or get out of my house. What's it gonna be?"

Nikki stomped out of the bathroom and grabbed her backpack and purse.

"I guess I'm not your daughter anymore, then."

Neil and Carl were watching from the staircase.

"I'm warnin' you—you walk out that door, you aren't a part of this family anymore!" Candy yelled.

"Good! Better an orphan than the daughter of a woman who wants to decide what I can do with my body!"

"Go, then!"

Nikki ran out the front door, slamming it shut behind her. Neil blinked and ran into his sister's room, finding that she'd already packed a bunch of stuff into a box. It was all the stuff she'd gotten from Max over the years—from their time at Camp Campbell to their recent three-year anniversary. He decided that _somebody_ needed to back Nikki on this, so he pulled out her suitcase and started packing her clothes into it.

"Neil, what are you doing?" Carl hissed.

"Somebody has to help Nikki. She's my stepsister, but the sister part is more important. I know Candy's just going to get rid of all this stuff if I don't do this."

"Are you sure?"

"She's a pregnant seventeen-year-old who just got disowned by her mother. Somebody has to look after her." Carl nodded, agreeing that something needed to be done.

Once everything was packed up, Neil loaded it into his car and called Nikki's phone.

 _"Hello?"_ Nikki asked in a strained voice, as if she'd been crying.

"Nikki, it's Neil. Where are you?"

 _"I'm in town. I'm trying to figure out where to go."_

"Listen to me. Find a safe place to wait, then tell me where you are. I'm coming to get you."

 _"Why? I'm not your stepsister anymore. Or did you not hear the screaming match I just had with the woman formerly known as my mother?"_

"Shut the fuck up. That doesn't matter to me. You're my sister no matter what happens, and I'm your older brother. That means I'm supposed to look out for you. Now, do what I said so we can figure out the next step."

 _"Okay, okay. Thanks, Neil."_

He listened as she walked along, not wanting to hang up for fear her phone might be disconnected. After a few minutes, she stopped.

 _"Okay. I'm at Campbell's Diner. Jesus Christ, he's really trying to be an honest businessman now, isn't he?"_

"I'm on my way."

He pulled up to the diner within a few minutes, where he saw Nikki standing by the door. She ran to the car and slid into the passenger seat, dried tear-tracks on her cheeks. After giving her a hug, Neil parked in one of the spaces and turned to face her.

"So, any ideas?" he asked her.

"No. None except maybe running into the woods and living there."

"Not with a baby on the way, you're not."

"My dad cut off contact with me when I was ten and I don't have any other relatives. I don't want to go to a shelter, because that will lead to a legal battle I can't fight. Max isn't here, so I can't stay with him and David and Gwen…"

"Wait, what was that last one?"

"I can't stay with Max, David, and Gwen."

"Maybe you can. Max might not be here, but you're pregnant with their grandchild! They'll be sure to let you stay for a little while until we can figure something else out!"

"You think so?"

"I'm sure of it."

"Let's go, then."

* * *

"Nikki? Neil? What are you doing here?"

Nikki took one look at David's face and she knew he'd been crying, too.

"Max isn't here. I'm sure he told you that he was leaving…"

"Yeah, he did. But… something happened, and I need a place to stay for about a year," Nikki replied.

"A year? What happened?" He led her and Neil inside, closing the door behind them. Gwen was on the couch, a blank look on her face as Lizzie curled up next to her.

"Well, Max and I were together for three years, and… long story short, I'm pregnant."

Gwen immediately sat upright, startling her daughter as she whipped around to face Nikki.

"That asshole got you pregnant and _left_?!" she snapped.

"I didn't find out until today. I took a test… and just to be safe, I took two more before we came here. All of them were positive. There's no way Max could've known."

"So, why are you here?" David murmured.

"My mom saw the test before I could figure out how I was going to tell her. She started saying that I wasn't going to have the baby and… we got into an argument. Stuff got said and she told me that I could either get rid of the baby or leave. I chose to leave, because I _can't_ get rid of the baby. I'm already attached…"

Gwen got up and hugged the seventeen-year-old girl, who had started crying again. David joined them, tears streaming down his face as well.

"I just need a year to figure things out," Nikki choked out from her sobs. "That's all I'm asking."

"You can stay as long as you need," Gwen stated. "We have room for you and the baby."

"Thank you…"

"I have her stuff in the car," Neil spoke up. "I got it out of the house before Candy could get her hands on it."

"Nice move, nerd," Gwen laughed, high-fiving him. David, Neil, and Nikki headed outside to start unloading.

"Mommy, why was Nikki crying?"

Gwen looked down at her six-year-old and sighed.

"You know that Max and Nikki were boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they're having a baby, and Max left Nikki by herself to take care of the baby. She was crying because _her_ mom doesn't want her to be a mom."

"So Nikki wants to be a mommy like you?"

"Exactly. Nikki wants to be a mom, but she can't live at home anymore. She's moving in with us instead. And, because she's having Max's baby, that means you're going to be an aunt."

Lizzie's eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect 'o'.

"Wow! Really?"

"Yep. That also means Nikki's your big sister now." She glanced out the window and opened the front door for David, Neil, and Nikki. David was carrying a suitcase and a box, while Neil had a couple of smaller boxes. Nikki just had one box in her arms, which she set down on the couch.

"This is all the stuff Max has given me over the past seven years," she said softly. David ran upstairs with her stuff and came back down.

"Everything?" he asked, sitting down.

"Everything. I kept all of it, and I boxed it up the day he left."

"What the hell were you planning to do with all of it?" Gwen inquired.

"A bonfire. I was going to burn it all, but the weather over the past couple weeks hasn't been the best for burning. I took the pregnancy tests because I realized I was almost a month late."

Gwen reached into the box and pulled out a lanyard. She remembered Max making one with Nikki's name on it that she'd teased him about. Now Nikki was pregnant and sitting on the couch, emotionally vulnerable because Gwen's dumbass son had decided to leave.

She was going to murder him when he came back.

"Pick what you want to keep with you and we'll put the rest in the attic," David told Nikki. "That might help."

"This." She reached into the box and pulled out a smaller one. Opening it up, she revealed a forest-green pendant on a gold chain. "It's the only piece of jewelry I own that I actually like."

"Wait, when the hell did he give you this?!" Gwen yelped. "That looks expensive!"

"On our second anniversary. He bought it a couple weeks earlier. I know because he left the receipt in his car and I saw it. It cost a couple hundred bucks." Her face fell. "I was going to burn it… oh my God."

"But you didn't," Neil assured her. "You can keep this stuff and show it to your son or daughter—tell them about their dad one day."

"Yeah, you're right. My top priority now is the baby. And finishing high school."

"See? You're already doing great!" He grabbed his keys. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Call me if you need something."

* * *

It happened when she was about to go shopping for the baby with Lizzie and Gwen. The baby hit her with enough force to make her yelp in pain. Gwen immediately rushed over to see what was wrong, then glanced downward.

"Nope. We're not going shopping. C'mon." She helped Nikki out to the car, Lizzie trailing behind in confusion. "Lizzie, grab the green bag from Nikki's room."

"Okay!" Gwen climbed into the driver's seat and buckled up.

"What's going on? The baby's just kicking!" Nikki protested.

"No. Nikki, your fucking water just broke. This baby is coming _now_."

Nikki's eyes widened as Lizzie climbed into the backseat, the green bag in her hand.

"Wait, _now_?! But the baby's not due until December! It's barely November!"

"Well, it's you and Max's kid! Guess they're impatient, just like their parents!"

Nikki felt spasms of pain washing over her. She was beginning to panic before Gwen started coaching her through the breathing they'd learned a few months earlier. Lizzie was anxiously waiting in the back as her mother handed her the phone.

"Call Neil and your dad," Gwen instructed. "Tell them Nikki is having the baby and we're on our way to the hospital now!"

"Okay!" Lizzie hit her dad's name. "Daddy? Mommy said to tell you Nikki is having the baby. See you there!" She hung up. "Daddy said he's going to call Neil and meet us there!"

"Great. Get ready, Nikki. Parenthood is about to hit like a freight train."

"I already _feel_ like I've been hit by a freight train! _God_ , this hurts!"

They got to the hospital and Nikki was admitted to the maternity ward. Apparently, the baby was _incredibly_ impatient, because Gwen was informed that Nikki was well on her way into labor. She was allowed into the room because she was the only legal guardian there for Nikki. Lizzie was looked after by a nurse until Neil and David got there.

After about two more hours, Nikki had given birth to a healthy baby girl. She arrived at 10:32 AM on November 7, weighing just five pounds, three ounces. A very tiny but healthy and fully-formed baby, the doctor said. Especially considering she was born a month early.

"She's perfect," Nikki whispered, holding her daughter. Gwen smiled, but David found himself wishing Max could see this. Max had once told him that if he ever had kids, he wanted to be there for them and be better than his own parents had been.

And he couldn't.

"What are you gonna name her?" Lizzie asked, hopping onto the bed.

"I'm going to call her… Lovetta Mae Greene."

"You're… you're taking our last name?" choked out David.

"I want her to be a part of this family. She's my little wolf child, and I'm going to make sure she's raised right." Nikki smiled, but David was crying tears of joy. Neil was happy to see his niece, even if he knew his stepmother would no doubt disapprove of the little girl. Gwen was suddenly struck by the realization that she was a grandmother. And she had just turned thirty. As for Lizzie, she was happy to not be the youngest in the family anymore.

As Nikki looked at the faces in that hospital room, and down at her newborn daughter, she made a silent promise.

 _As broken as our family is, you will always be loved. I know your dad isn't here, but I know he would love you so much if he was._

 _I promise that you'll never feel unloved._


	5. Reunion

She had told herself, when he first came back home, that she wouldn't fall for him again.

It had been almost eleven years since he ripped her heart out like they hadn't spent three years together as a couple, and four years before that as friends. He'd been the first boy she'd fallen in love with, her first crush, her first date, her first kiss, her first… _everything_. They'd been happy. So much happier than she'd known him to be when they were in elementary school and he was in the counselor's office to deal with the trauma of his abuse at the hands of his mother and absent father. He'd been through more than most ten-year-olds needed to go through at that point in their lives.

He'd been beaten, screamed at, starved, burned, and neglected. She'd seen the scars on his skin—fainter by the time she saw them, thanks to the fact that it had been years since they occurred, but still there. The physical scars were the ones that were faint. It was the mental and emotional ones that were taking time to heal. It made her both happy and sad that he was willing to open up to her, that he wanted her to know how fucked-up he'd become. That he believed he didn't deserve her or the life he was leading.

But she'd accepted every part of him that she knew.

There were still things about him that were a mystery at the time of his disappearance. He never talked about his father much, but she knew that the man had been a dark presence in his life for a long time. Even to the point they were at now, she could tell that his father loomed over him, driving him beyond the point where he felt he could function. On those days, he sought out her comfort, her words, her voice. Anything to prove that he still had some worth in this world. And she'd obliged, hoping to pull him back from the proverbial ledge and keep him from leaping over it.

They'd finally reached a point where they were both _happy_. He was open with her in a way that he wasn't with anybody else. She saw him as her escape from her more-overbearing-than-ever mother and her meekly obedient stepfather. To each other, they were a support system to get through the good days and the bad days, to provide comfort and care when the other needed it, and above all, a couple that worked and stayed together, despite _everything_ being thrown in their way. Not _once_ did either of them consider breaking up or seeing someone else on the side. It was perfect.

Then he'd left, and she'd broken.

Her support system was gone, and in its place was a broken web of confusion, anger, pain, lies, and in the middle of it all, a person who was depending on her as much as she'd depended on him. Her baby. She'd picked up the shattered glass of the mirror that had depicted her 'perfect' relationship and put it away, intending to never lay eyes on him again and keep her daughter well away from the man who had hurt her so badly. It worked, and the little girl never knew her father or what he'd done. And the mother was happy.

Suddenly, he came back into her life. Suddenly, he was once again protecting her as he had before, trying to be her support system despite his absence. She found her heart wanted to let him back in, let him be her knight in shining armor. But time had taught her there wasn't time to be a damsel in distress. You couldn't rely on a knight to save you, because they might leave and everything might shatter in an instant. Those were the lessons she gave her daughter—save yourself. Don't rely on someone else, or you might get hurt.

And yet…

Max was hurting, too. She didn't know what he'd been up to while he was gone. She just knew that he'd left to keep her and, by extension, their child safe. He didn't talk about it, and he refused to tell her what had gone on. No amount of prodding from her could get him to talk, and she knew that trying further would lead to unnecessary pain on both of their sides. The pain of reliving that time for him, and the pain of knowing for her. They weren't the well-coordinated system they'd been before. That emotional openness wasn't there anymore.

They didn't know each other. They might as well have been different people than before. He was making an effort to know her again, but she was resisting him. She didn't want to let him in again and risk him leaving her as broken-hearted as before. But after the events of her disastrous date with Jason, and him protecting her as much as before… she wasn't so sure.

It took her a week after that to work up the courage to approach him.

* * *

She headed down the basement stairs, where she knew he was getting ready for bed. It would be the perfect opportunity to talk to him without interruptions or him evading her questions. Nothing was going to distract her from that mission.

Except, of course, the fact that he was just taking off his shirt when she saw him.

"Eep!" she squeaked, covering her eyes. He whirled around to face her.

"Whoa, hey! What's up?"

"N-nothing! I just came down here to talk to you!" He snickered.

"You don't have to cover your eyes. You've seen everything."

 _Shit, that's right. We have a kid._

She uncovered her eyes and got a good look at him. He'd certainly grown over the past decade. He was more muscular and toned than she remembered, though not in a professional wrestler or body-builder way. It was more of an active-lifestyle type thing, where he had to stay in shape to keep up. Nikki bit her lip. He looked… good. Really good.

He also had more scars than she remembered. Several of them were round and knotted, reminding her of the bullet wounds she'd seen in old anti-gang films back in middle school. More of them were long, thin scars, as if he'd been slashed or stabbed. Something told her that the 'dangerous world' he'd said he was going into was the cause of the new wounds. It made her feel a little sick… and stirred a feeling she hadn't felt for a long time.

"You're staring."

Max's voice snapped her from her thoughts and she felt her face heat up. He was still shirtless and giving her a confused look—making for a cute yet sexy moment.

 _Get it together, Nikki!_

"Sorry! It's just… it's been a long time since I've seen you… like this."

"Well, to be fair, last time you saw me like this was in my bedroom and there were even fewer clothes involved, so…"

"Oh, that's right." She cleared her throat. "Y-you have a lot more scars than I remember."

"Yeah." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Why are you down here, anyway?"

"I wanted to talk to you in private, and this is the only place that can happen. Everywhere else either has someone listening in or you dodging my questions. _Please_ , Max. Just let me talk to you."

"Okay. We'll talk." He sat down on the couch. "Come on."

She took the invitation and sat down next to him, her thoughts occupied by the memory of the _last_ time she'd been with him while he was shirtless on this couch. In fact, she was eighty-percent sure that they'd conceived Lovetta right here. It was either that or in the room that their daughter now occupied.

 _No! Focus!_

"I want… I want to know more about the time you were gone. Tell me the truth. Please."

"So _that's_ what this is about. I should've known you'd ask eventually."

"Then you _must_ have _something_ to say about it. I have to know what you left me to go after, because not knowing _hurts_."

"It's not something I'm proud of, but you're right. You should know."

"Tell me, then." She gave him a determined look and he started laughing. "What's so funny?!"

"You are so fucking cute when you get that look on your face."

"Will you take this _seriously_?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "I told you that somebody threatened you to get to me, right?"

"You did."

"Well… that somebody was my dad. My birth father." She blinked.

"Wait, why?!"

"Because I was almost an adult, and my dad wanted me to take over his 'business'. He was the leader of a large gang of drug-dealers and other people like that. I refused at first because I was happy with you, Gwen, David, and Lizzie. I didn't want to get involved in that kind of world. But… then he started making threats. First, he threatened my birth mom—which, I mean, I didn't really care as much as I did when he threatened you—but he followed through on the threat. Then he made some comments about you and I got angry. I told him to get out of my life. He followed it up by threatening to torture and murder you."

"And because he'd already followed through with your birth mother, you knew he wasn't bluffing?"

"Exactly. I didn't want to risk it, so I told him I'd go if he left you alone. After that, I stuck the note in your locker and left town."

"So you became a _gangster_?"

"Sort of, but not really. I wanted to take the bastard out for good and come home to you, so I secretly called the Millers and told them I could help take down a major gang leader. They accepted and I was working undercover to take my dad down."

"The scars are from you being in the gang?"

"Bingo. I've been shot and stabbed more times than I want to admit, but it worked. My dad's behind bars and the other members have been scattered. We're safe."

She bit her lip again and reached for one of the bullet-wound scars on his shoulder. It was cool to the touch, but he let out a hiss as she made contact with the sensitive skin.

"Sorry!" she squeaked.

"No, it's fine. They're just sensitive." He sighed. "I hate how they look sometimes, but they're a reminder that I actually _did_ something."

"I feel the same way about my stretch marks."

"Your _what_?"

"Stretch marks. They're from when I was pregnant with Lovetta and my stomach was bigger than it had ever been before or after. They're ugly, and I think it's the biggest reason I've been afraid to date. Nobody wants a girl with a fucked-up body. Uh, Max, what the hell are you—"

He tilted her chin upwards and started kissing her. Shockwaves went through her body as the familiar electricity surged between them and she was drawn to him like a magnet. Her body reacted of its own accord and she pulled him down on top of her, desperate for more contact as her fingers tangled in his black curls. She could feel his hands traveling down her body, brushing every spot where he knew she was sensitive to his touch. He bit her lower lip. In response, she let out a moan that seemed to make him more determined as he started to push up the hem of her night-shirt.

"God, I love you," he groaned as she dug her nails into his skin. She froze and broke their lip-lock, staring up at him with an astonished look. His eyes widened as he realized what he'd said. "S-sorry! Fuck. Dammit." He sat upright and got off of her, burying his face in his hands.

"What are you sorry for?" She sat up, too.

"I know you're trying to move on from me, and then I go and pull this bullshit… I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, somehow looking adorable and sexy at the same time to her ex. "Did you mean it?"

"Nikki, I have been in love with you since we were ten years old. Do you really think I would fucking say it if I didn't mean it?"

"Max… I'm still in love with you, too." He stared at her in shock.

"Then why the fuck are we dancing around on this?" He pinned her back down and kissed her again. "You wanna give our relationship another try?"

"Hell yes."

* * *

Gwen headed into the kitchen that morning and found Nikki already making breakfast. She seemed happier, lighter than Gwen had seen her in over a decade. The young mother was even humming the stupid Camp Campbell song David had written. Even more shocking, Max was already awake and drinking a mug of coffee, also in a surprisingly good mood.

"What the hell happened with you two?" she asked, making her own mug of coffee.

"What are you talking about?" Max inquired.

"You're in a good mood and it's not even seven AM yet. Something happened with you."

"And when I want to tell you, I'll tell you. I'm gonna take a shower and get ready to take Lovetta to school." He headed upstairs, leaving Gwen alone with Nikki.

"Okay, he's gone. Spill."

"Nope." Nikki walked away from the stove, but Gwen noticed she appeared to be in a bit of pain as she walked.

"You okay?"

"A little sore." Nikki shot Gwen a smile and Gwen immediately knew what had happened.

"So you're friends with benefits now?"

"Not exactly. We agreed to give the relationship thing another go, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"I guess Max forgot the meaning of the word 'restraint', though, based on the way you're walking. I mean, it's been over a decade since you two last did anything." The mint-haired woman blushed bright pink and chewed on a piece of bacon.

"A little, I guess, but… if this works out, Lovetta's wish will come true. She wants me and Max to be together."

"Okay, can I just say that your kid is adorable and innocent?"

"And she wants a younger sibling."

"Lizzie did, too, until Lovetta was born. Then she just considered Vet her sister."

Nikki smiled, then winced as she moved her legs.

"I don't know how I'm going to work my shift today. I guess I could call in sick?"

"You're not going to be able to work today walking like that. Your job requires you to be on your feet way too much."

David and Lizzie came downstairs a minute later—a father-daughter duo of early-rising nature-lovers. Both were as surprised as Gwen had been to see Nikki up early like this.

"I heard the shower running," Lizzie commented. "Who else is up?"

"Max," Gwen and Nikki replied in unison.

"Wait, seriously? Did Hell freeze over?"

"No, Liz, Hell didn't freeze over," chuckled Gwen. "Let's just say he and Nikki have patched things up and he's in a _really_ good mood."

"So we can expect a new nibling for me soon?"

"What the hell is a nibling?"

"It's when you don't know if it's a niece or a nephew, so you call it a nibling." Nikki's eyes widened with worry.

"Oh, no…" she whispered, biting her lip.

"Chill, Nikki," sighed Gwen. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Plus, Max won't leave this time. You know he won't."

"I know, but I'm still nervous." She twiddled her thumbs. "It was kind of… heat of the moment and we didn't take precautions. So it's definitely possible that Lovey might have a sibling on the way."

"Relax. You're older now, so it won't be as hard as it was with Lovetta."

They decided to quickly change the subject in case Lovetta came downstairs, which happened about five minutes later.

"Where's Max?" she asked.

"He's upstairs, taking a shower," Nikki replied.

"Nope," Max replied, coming into the kitchen, fully dressed with his hair still slightly wet. "I'm right here."

"So, are you taking me to school?"

"Yep. Hurry up and eat so we can get going."

"Okay!"

Neither of them knew who was waiting at the school…

* * *

 **Okay, so originally, I wasn't going to post this chapter until the next one went up. Then I realized that putting this one first actually made more sense. Don't worry; Max's dad's revenge is coming, too. An important thing to note is that Lovetta is the only person in the family who is unaware that Max and Nikki are patching things up. This is important for the next chapter.**

 **Huh. The one that's going up next has been on the back burner for the past two days. Weird.**

 **But this one is important. Max and Nikki have gotten back together, and that will lead to an AO3-exclusive story that's the more explicit version of that little thing in the middle. Yeah.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	6. The Substitute

School had been much easier since Alexis had left. It turned out that Jessica Winters had been the main cause of the other parents bad-mouthing Nikki and Lovetta, so the kids were less inclined to make fun of the 'wolf girl'. Especially since word of her father's return to Sleepy Peak and his efforts to be a part of her life had spread. Her fight with Alexis had helped, too, since the other kids knew she wasn't going to take insults lying down.

"So, how long do you think your dad's going to be in town?" James asked as he walked with her to class.

"He said he's planning to stay as long as he can," she replied. "I think he's still in love with my mom. He just won't admit it."

"Maybe he's afraid to," proposed Leo, her other new friend. He and James had never made fun of her back when Alexis was around, so she'd accepted their friendship before anybody else's.

"Max isn't afraid of anything! He beat up the guy who tried to hurt my mom and got him arrested last week!"

"Well, he's afraid because he left for so long and he doesn't know if your mom is going to take him back. He protects her because that's what his instincts tell him to do. It's quite common in several species—the male's mate is threatened and he asserts alpha status over the other male by protecting her."

"You're such a nerd, Leo," snorted James.

"I'm hopeful," Lovetta chirped. "Maybe he and Mom will get married and I'll get a little brother or sister!"

They walked into the classroom and stopped. There was a man sitting at Miss Baker's desk—a man who looked like a paler, blonde-haired, blue-eyed version of David dressed completely in white. Lovetta was confused.

"Ah, children!" he greeted the three, who had been the first to arrive. "Go ahead and sit down!"

Something about this guy was setting off alarm bells in Lovetta's head. He had a wide-eyed, ridiculously happy look to him. David was happy, too, but not to this degree. This new guy was _unnaturally_ happy.

"Where's Miss Baker?" inquired Leo.

"Miss Baker will be out for the time being. I'm your substitute until she comes back. My name is Mr. Koresh, but I'd prefer that you kids call me Daniel. Your names are…?"

"James Thompson."

"Leo Cook."

"Lovetta Greene."

"Oh. Thank you very much!" He marked them as present in the attendance folder. "Go and take your seats. We'll be beginning shortly."

The trio sat down in their normal spots in the back row, far away from Daniel's ears. Just to be safe, however, they waited until more kids started coming in and the substitute was distracted to start talking.

"I don't like this guy," Lovetta whispered to her two friends. "Something about him feels… off."

"Is it because he looks like your grandfather?" Leo asked. "He's happy like him."

"No, Grandpa is happy to be alive and have our family. Daniel is creepy-happy. Like he's brainwashed or something."

"Maybe he's one of David's relatives," suggested James.

"Grandpa doesn't have any that are still around. The only blood relative he has is Aunt Lizzie."

"It's definitely odd. Miss Baker was fine yesterday."

"James, Leo, Lovetta!" called Daniel. "It's time to start class. Please stop whispering and pay attention." He tilted his head and his neck cracked in a way that sent shivers down Lovetta's spine.

"Sorry, Daniel," replied James, settling down.

"Now, I looked at the plans that Miss Baker left, and according to her, you're supposed to start a project today. Each of you will have a partner, who I will let you pick as a show of good faith. That works out perfectly because there's twenty-four of you and twelve of the Greek gods to pick from for this project. You will make a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the class on whatever god you and your partner pick. Go ahead and choose your partners, kids."

Lovetta looked from Leo to James worriedly.

"Um, so who's willing to take one for the team and be partnered with someone else?" she chuckled.

"I will," Leo offered. "I'm sure any number of kids will want my expertise in research."

"Thanks, Leo. James, I guess that means it's you and me."

"Yep," he agreed. "You wanna do the project at your house? I'm at my mom's and it's kind of a mess with her job hunt…"

"Yeah, that should work. My mom won't be home and Max has an interview, but Lizzie and Grandma should be there."

"Great!"

* * *

"Hi, Aunt Lizzie!"

"Hey, Lil Bit! Who's your friend?"

James glanced up at the high schooler in the front seat. She had red hair and violet eyes, which made for a very pretty and contrasting effect. Freckles dotted her face across her nose and cheeks, making her fair skin obvious.

"This is James. He's my partner for our new project."

"Nice to meet you, James," Lizzie stated. "Don't worry—I don't bite. Lovetta might, though."

"Jeez, bite _one kid_ during a fight and you're labeled for life." Lovetta pouted.

"I'm teasing, Vet. Let's get you home so you can get started."

"Thanks for giving us a ride, Lizzie," James said.

"It's no problem. It's my job to give Lovetta a ride whenever Max isn't able to."

She pulled out of the parking lot and drove to a fairly nice house. The two elementary schoolers got out of the backseat and headed inside, where Lovetta could see her grandmother working in the kitchen. She ran up and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Lovetta!" Gwen greeted her. "How was school?"

"We have a creepy substitute and a new project to do," Lovetta replied. James walked in behind her. "This is my partner, James."

"Well, good luck on your project. You know where your mom's laptop is. Just keep the noise down, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" They went into the living room. "James, you wait on the couch. I'll go get the laptop."

"Okay." James sat down while Lovetta ran upstairs. She came back down with a computer and logged on.

"So, our god is Dionysus. Do we know anything about him?"

"Nope. Let's start with that."

She typed 'Dionysus' into the search and several results popped up.

"Let's see… 'Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, madness, theater, fertility, and religious ecstasy.' That seems promising." She looked up at James and smiled. "Wait, what's religious ecstasy?"

"I think it means getting high," James stated. "Basically, he was the god of parties."

"Oh, that's awesome! Everyone loves parties!"

"You better not be planning one."

They turned towards the door to see Max closing it behind him. He was still dressed up from his interview.

"Hey, Max!" Lovetta greeted him. "How'd the interview go?"

"They said they were going to consider me. But we both know how likely it is that I'll get the job." His gaze landed on James. "Who the hell is that?"

"This is James. He's my partner for our Greek god project. James, this is my dad, Max."

"Nice to meet you, sir." James stood up and stuck out his hand. Max shook it.

"So, which god is your project on? I remember doing this in school."

"Dionysus, the god of parties!" Lovetta informed him proudly, bouncing on the couch a bit.

"Cool. I got Ares when we did this."

"How's he?"

"Ares is a massive dick." Lovetta snickered, while James felt uncomfortable. "Hey, Vet, how about you go down to the basement and grab my laptop for me? I have a couple of job applications to fill out."

"Okay!" She ran downstairs and Max turned his eyes back to James. James stiffened, feeling like he was about to listen to a stereotypical overprotective dad lecture.

"Keep your hands to yourself, kid, and we won't have any problems. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Here it is!" Lovetta announced, running back into the living room. She placed Max's laptop on the coffee table and smiled.

"Thanks, Vet." Max picked it up. "Have fun with your project."

And he was gone.

"Your dad's kind of scary," commented James.

"He's just trying to prove himself as a parent." She shrugged. "Now, let's get on with this party god!"

* * *

A week later, they presented their project to the class, which was well-received by Daniel and their fellow students. Lovetta was still uncomfortable around the substitute, and the fact that he kept mentioning some guy named Zeemug didn't help. It sounded like a fake god that a cult would worship. Still, Daniel hadn't done anything to anybody yet, so Lovetta was willing to leave him alone.

He wasn't the only new face at Sleepy Peak Elementary, either. There was a new guidance counselor named Ms. Applewhite, and she creeped Lovetta out just as much as Daniel did. She asked everyone to call her Jen, and she looked like a much-paler, blonde-haired, blue-eyed version of Gwen with the same creepy-happy look to her that Daniel had. Lovetta couldn't quite put her finger on why they weirded her out to the degree that they did.

Then she came home to find her mom and dad going through a box labeled 'To Burn'. Most of the stuff they were pulling out was kind of weird—papers, dried flowers, crafts…

"What's this junk?" she asked.

"This is everything from when Max and I were younger," Nikki replied, smiling. "Everything he ever gave me."

"So why does it say 'To Burn' on the box?"

"Because your mother has a fascination with fire to the point where she's told me repeatedly that she wants a Viking's funeral when she dies," Max stated bluntly. Nikki hit him with a scrapbook that had 'Camp Campbell Memories' glued to the cover and he laughed.

"I was going to burn it all after Max left," Nikki told her daughter. "But the weather didn't let me, and then I found out about you. So I kept it to show you one day."

"Aw, that's sweet! Why are you going through it now?"

"Well…" Nikki glanced at Max, who gave her a smile back. "Your dad and I decided that we're going to give our relationship another chance."

"You're back together?!"

"We're back together," Max affirmed, nodding. He lunged towards Nikki and tackled her in a hug, making her squeal and drop the scrapbook. It fell open on a newspaper clipping about a cult leader. Curious, Lovetta turned the page and found another clipping—this one with the headline 'DO NOT HIRE THIS MAN' and a picture of Daniel.

"No way!" she yelped.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"This guy in the picture—that's the substitute for Miss Baker!" Both of her parents looked at each other, then Max picked up the scrapbook. Upon seeing the picture, his eyes widened.

"Lovey, are you _sure_ he's your substitute?" Nikki inquired cautiously.

"Yes! His name is Daniel, and he's super creepy! Just like the new guidance counselor, Jen!"

"Lovetta, listen to me," Max stated. "They're both very dangerous. I don't know how the _fuck_ they got jobs working in a school, but do _not_ accept _anything_ from them. Got it?"

"Got it." She nodded. "How do _you_ know them?"

"They were hired as extra counselors at Camp Campbell the summer your mom and I met. Your grandparents didn't do a background check on them, so they turned out to be cultists who wanted to brainwash and kill the entire camp."

"Seriously?!" Lovetta looked horrified. "All Daniel does now is teach us the lessons that he's supposed to. And he mentions negative emotions and Zeemug a lot, too."

"Don't listen to him about that shit. Block him out. Tell your friends to block him out. It's the best way to be safe about this."

"Okay, Max."

* * *

About a month later, shortly after they came back from winter break, they went on a field trip that had been planned for the entire fourth grade. Since they had an abundance of chaperones, the students were split into groups of three. Lovetta was with Leo and James, and their chaperone was Daniel. Knowing his history with her family, it was uncomfortable for the one female of the group. She'd told Leo and James the story, and they'd agreed to keep an eye on Daniel with her.

"This is great!" Daniel laughed as their boots crunched through the January snow. "Aren't the woods _beautiful_ , kids?"

"Yeah," Lovetta agreed, pulling her coat tighter around her. She wished her mother had been able to chaperone. Then maybe things would've been better and not as uncomfortable.

"Where are we, anyway?" Leo asked.

"Lake Lilac State Park! There's a bunch of summer camps in this area—I used to work at one of them, in fact. A place called Camp Campbell."

"That's where my parents met," Lovetta said before she could stop herself.

"Oh? Really?"

"They remember you. Remember Max and Nikki?"

"Max… I remember him _very well_. A trouble-maker with a foul mouth and no desire to be redeemed."

"That's my dad, all right."

"Lovetta!" hissed James, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

"But I was told _another_ story about your father, Lovetta Mae Greene. About how he has no loyalty to his family. How he'll betray them when the opportunity arises. Doesn't that seem _scary_?"

 _Block him out._

Her father's warning about Daniel rang in her ears, drowning out the cultist.

"No, it doesn't, because you're _wrong_! He would _never_ betray his family!"

"Did you know you have another grandfather, Lovetta? One who wanted nothing more than to be able to raise his son, but his son was taken away."

Oh, she _knew_ she had another grandfather. Her father had warned her about him, saying that his birth father was nobody to be proud of—a selfish man who was the reason Max hadn't been part of her life for ten years.

"I met him when I was put in prison. He thought I was useful, and he helped me get out. He then told me how much he loved his son and wished that he could meet his son's new family."

"Liar."

"Excuse me?" He tilted his neck and it cracked, making her cringe.

"You're a _liar_!"

"But, Lovetta, your grandfather wants to meet you. Right now."

Suddenly, men wearing masks came out of the trees and grabbed all three kids. Lovetta fought back, even biting one of them in the wrist before he injected her with a sedative to knock her out. She slumped over, majorly freaking out her two friends. Daniel smirked and pulled out a piece of paper.

"James, would you and Leo do me a favor by delivering this to Lovetta's father? I have a feeling that he'll want to know what happened to his little girl." He handed the paper to the two boys, who ran off for the safety of the larger group while Daniel walked away with the masked men.

"The little bitch bit me," complained one of them.

"Her mother was a biter, too," chuckled another. "Or didn't you see the marks she left on Acharya's kid before he joined us? Woman was more animal than human."

"And this little slut's name means 'wolf child'," a third man commented. "Guess the mom wanted her girl to be like that."

"Shut up, all of you!" ordered Daniel. "Vihaan is waiting…"

* * *

 **DOUBLE UPDATE WHAAAAT?!**

 **In all seriousness, Wednesdays are the most difficult days for me to update because that's the day that I have four classes at college. History at 8, then Critical Inquiry at 10, followed by Psychology at 11, then I have Math from 1 until almost 3. Today (which is Tuesday for me) I had the day off due to a hurricane that is currently heading in the direction of my state, but it's back to school tomorrow.**

 **Plus, I had most of this chapter already written, so I just decided to go ahead and upload it now. In fact, the beginning of the chapter is a direct follow-up to the previous chapter. It takes place the day after Max and Nikki reconcile.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	7. Father and Son

Max was going to murder somebody today.

He didn't know who it was going to be; there was already a long list of possible candidates. Daniel, for luring his daughter into a kidnapping. The school superintendent, who had been the one to approve Daniel as a substitute. Vihaan Acharya, his birth father, for having Daniel kidnap Lovetta.

He'd been job-hunting (still, despite the fact that he'd been looking for two months) and Nikki had the day off from work. In the middle of the afternoon, when he was getting ready to go pick up Lovetta after her field trip and Nikki was taking a nap, his phone went off. It was the school. Why the hell were they calling?

"Hello?" he asked.

 _"Hello, Max,"_ Katrina McCormick replied, sounding frantic. _"I'm afraid that something happened to Lovetta on the trip today. Could you and her mother come down to the school and talk to the police?"_

Max swore his heart stopped for a moment.

 _"Max? Hello?"_

"What happened?"

 _"We're not sure. James and Leo rejoined the group during the field trip without Lovetta and their chaperone, and they're refusing to talk unless it's to you."_

"I'm on my way." He hung up and grabbed his keys.

"Max, what's wrong?" Nikki asked from the top of the stairs.

"Something happened to Lovetta on the field trip and I need to down to the school to find out what."

"Give me a second." She ran back to her room and came back two minutes later fully dressed. "Let's go."

They left and headed to the school, where there were several police cars. The cops that had driven them there were talking to the kids and chaperones from the field trip, but Max noticed one _very specific_ chaperone was absent. Daniel was nowhere to be seen and Max immediately put two and two together.

"Max!" panted Katrina, coming out of her office. "There you are. Thank God. The chief is losing patience with the boys and he said he was going to take them to the station if you didn't get here soon."

"They're in your office?"

"Yes."

Max walked in and immediately, James and Leo stiffened at the sight of him.

"So, you're the father of the missing girl?" Sal asked.

"Nice to see you, too, Sal," Max sighed.

"Oh, Max. Didn't realize it was you. I'll leave you with the kids, as long as you tell me what they say."

He exited the office and the two ten-year-old boys were left with the worried father of their friend who they'd failed to protect. Both of them immediately refused to look him in the eye, which was understandable to Max given the circumstances.

"So, you kids were the only ones with Lovetta and Daniel when it happened?" Max asked.

"Yes, sir," James replied, his voice cracking with fear.

"There were half a dozen of them against the three of us!" Leo blurted. "And none of us can fight adults!"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?"

"Daniel was talking about Lovetta's _other_ grandfather," James explained, "and that he wanted to see her. He also said you'd betray your family at the first opportunity."

Max balled his hands into fists as James fished into his pocket.

"He told us to give this to you."

He handed Max a folded paper, his hand trembling with fear.

"You listened to what Daniel said?" Max inquired in a chilling tone.

"We were afraid he'd hurt Lovetta worse if we didn't," Leo mumbled. "She was injected with what _I_ suspect was a sedative of some kind after she bit one of the kidnappers."

"Of course they did. Those fucking bastards…"

"Everything okay in here?" Sal cut in, opening the door. Max shoved the paper in the pocket of his coat.

"Daniel Koresh is at large again. He's one of the people who kidnapped my daughter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make."

He walked out of the room, a look of quiet rage on his face as the people who barely knew him got out of the way. Nikki went after him, grabbing his arm as they reached the car.

"Max, what happened to Lovey?" she asked.

"My birth father." Max reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Nikki, call David and Gwen. I'm calling the Millers because there's no way Vihaan Acharya should be out of prison, _ever_."

 _"Hello?"_ a familiar woman's voice said on the other end.

"Hey, Ered. It's Max. Could you tell me how the hell my dad got out of prison?"

* * *

 _Darkness._

That was all Lovetta could see. She knew her eyes were shut, so that was the cause of the darkness surrounding her, but she couldn't bring herself to open them quite yet. A slight pain in her neck was what made her wake up and look around.

She was in a place she didn't recognize—in a room with bars on the windows and one door. There was no way out, as far as she could tell, so she got off the small cot she'd been sitting on to try and look through the keyhole of the door. That proved to be a failure, since there wasn't a keyhole that she could look through.

 _Okay, Lovetta. You've been kidnapped by your dad's dad and you're probably in big trouble, but the important thing is to remain calm. There's no way this isn't some complicated scheme to get Max here._

"The bitch is awake," she heard a man say.

"Oh, thank God. We can stop guarding her."

"No, we can't. Not until the boss's bastard son arrives to get her."

"Hey!" Lovetta started banging on the door. "Where am I?!"

"Shut up!" one of them snapped, banging on the door in response.

"Is she awake?" asked a voice with a slight accent.

"Yes, sir."

"Open the door, then."

"Yes, sir."

The door opened and Lovetta stumbled backwards in an effort to avoid getting hit by it. The man who came into the room was tall, with the same dark hair Max had but flecked with silver and gray. His appearance was that of a disapproving, uptight grandfather who also happened to be a businessman. He looked down at Lovetta with disgust and disdain.

"So, _you're_ my granddaughter," he stated.

"No, I'm not."

"Isn't Maximillian your father?"

"My dad's name is _Max_ , not Maximillian."

"Max is his stupid nickname. His proper name is Maximillian."

"Oh. Then I guess I _am_ your granddaughter by blood."

"By blood only. You are the result of my son's relationship with an unworthy woman."

"You're calling my mother _unworthy_?"

"She's a woman born of a whore. Unfit for my son."

"So love means nothing?"

"Their relationship brought about nothing but trouble. And you." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Because you want revenge on my dad for betraying you and so you sent Daniel to kidnap me. When he gets here, you're going to let me go but try and kill him."

"How did you know that?"

"Duh. That's like, every evil grandparent plot ever."

"Good to know you're smarter than most of your family, little girl."

"My name is _Lovetta_."

"Oh, yes. Lovetta Acharya."

"Lovetta _Greene_ , you bastard."

He slapped her across the face.

"Know your place!" he snapped before leaving the room. "I'm going to wait for my son to arrive. Make sure she stays where she is."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"And you're _sure_ this is where the note said he was?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We're giving you twenty minutes," Agent Jack Miller stated. "If you don't bring her out by then, we're storming the place."

"Got it."

Max finished strapping the wire to his clothes and grabbed the baseball bat he'd brought specifically for beating the shit out of those who got in his way. Jack gave him a thumbs-up as Nikki wove through the crowd of agents to make it to Max.

"Max!" she called.

"Nik, what are you doing?" he asked. Instead of replying right away, she hugged him tightly, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

"Give 'em hell, Max. Save her and come home."

"I make no promises about myself, but Lovetta _will_ be coming home. I promise."

"Max, we're ready," Ered called. Nikki raised her eyebrows at the sight of her childhood idol, then smiled.

 _Guess the FBI agent thing runs in the family…_

"Love you," Max told Nikki before facing the building.

It had once belonged to Campbell, back before the businessman had gone straight. Now it was apparently the stronghold of Max's birth father, Vihaan Acharya. Max took a deep breath and headed inside. Almost immediately, he was spotted by guards, who ran to get their boss.

 _Fuckers knew I was coming._

Lovetta heard the door of her prison open. Her guards entered and tied her hands behind her back, binding her feet and gagging her, too. She suspected that they didn't trust her not to bite, and to be fair, that was true. She would've bitten them if it weren't for the gag. They carried her into a large central room, where she saw Vihaan standing in the center, facing her father.

"Let Lovetta go," Max growled. Vihaan smirked and snapped his fingers. Instead of Lovetta's guards tossing her to him, as she'd expected, several of his thugs came out of the shadows and attacked Max.

"Ah, Max, you still have so much to learn," chuckled Vihaan. Lovetta's guards left her on the floor, jeering as Max struggled against the thugs.

 _Gotta help him!_

Lovetta started biting at her gag, nibbling through the fabric with ease. She was thankful that she had strong teeth, because within minutes, it snapped. To her horror, Max was thrown against the wall. He had no idea she was watching, so she made a desperate decision.

"DADDY!" she screamed, getting the attention of both Max and her guards. One of them slapped her.

"Shut up, you little slut!" he hissed. Max let out a snarl and went apeshit, running straight for his daughter. The guards attempted to fight back, but lesson number one of dealing with a protective father is not to get in his fucking way. They were down and Max scooped up his little girl with ease, cutting her ropes with his pocketknife.

"I'm taking Lovetta to her mother, then we're finishing this," he told Vihaan in a chilling tone.

"I'll be waiting right here, _son_."

Max started booking it towards the exit, Lovetta clinging to him like a baby koala to its mother.

"Daddy, what about you?" she whimpered.

"Lovetta, you're my top priority. If you and your mom are safe, this mission was a success."

They came out of the building, where Nikki ran forwards and took her daughter from Max.

"We're prepared to storm the place," Robert Miller told Max.

"No, I'm finishing this. It's my fault, so I have to be the one to finish it."

"Max, this is suicide!" Ered warned.

"Then I'll have paid for not shooting the bastard in the head when I had the chance." Max ran inside and Lovetta struggled against Nikki.

"No, Dad!" she yelled. Nikki clutched her daughter tightly, then turned around. David and Gwen had arrived with Neil and Lizzie in tow.

"Where's Max?!" Gwen yelped.

"Daddy ran back inside!" Lovetta sniffed. Nikki glanced at the building, then down at her daughter. She then handed Lovetta to Neil.

"Take care of my little girl."

"Nikki, what the hell are you doing?!" Neil snapped.

"I lost Max once because of that bastard! I'm not losing him again! Not now!"

She ran for Ered, grabbing a gun and ammo from her childhood hero and heading straight for the entrance.

Max found himself outnumbered as he faced his father once again. Vihaan had the expression of a smarmy movie villain, watching his thugs do his dirty work instead of doing it himself.

"You're a fucking coward!" Max spat, his body reaching his limit as he struggled against the people he'd once worked with.

"No, Max. I just prefer to save my energy."

A gunshot rang out, startling the guys beating up Max as one of them dropped, a bullet wound in his head.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Nikki screeched.

"Nikki, what the hell?!" Max yelled.

"I'm not letting our family get torn to shreds like this again!" She aimed at Vihaan. "You've hurt my family too much!"

"So _you're_ the whore who captured my son's heart," Vihaan scoffed, crossing the room. He didn't have an ounce of fear in him as he approached Nikki. "I must say, your intelligence and personality aren't much to be desired."

One of the few thugs who'd been by his side instead of beating the shit out of Max grabbed her, startling Nikki into dropping the gun. Vihaan kicked it to the side and grabbed Nikki's face, right under her chin.

"On the other hand, your _body_ …"

"Don't fucking _touch_ her!" Max screamed, his face turning red with fury.

"This must be why he fell for you—because you gave him what he wanted. A pretty face to occupy his time." Nikki started laughing maniacally. "What's so funny, you bitch?"

"It's _hilarious_ that you think that's what Max and I are. You just think that because that's all _your_ relationships ever amounted to—you using them for your own ends rather than trying to have actual emotions. It's why you're such a sadistic son of a bitch."

"You think you're smart, don't you? You're a woman without a single brain cell to comprehend your current situation."

"And you're a dumbass who's failed to realize that this place is surrounded by law enforcement. You won't be getting out of this."

He dropped her to the floor and backhanded her across the face. Max swung his leg backwards and got the guy holding him back in the balls, making the man drop him so he could grab the gun Nikki had dropped. He then pointed it at his birth father and fired a warning shot, hitting the wall behind him. Vihaan narrowed his eyes.

"So, you haven't learned a damned thing, have you, son?" he said in a voice that oozed with poison.

"I've learned a lot. Just none of it from you."

"You can't even shoot straight."

"That was a warning shot. Let's cut the shit and face each other one-on-one—just you versus me. No thugs, no cops, none of that. We'll settle this the right way."

Vihaan smirked and flexed his wrist.

"Like true men, you mean?"

"Fighting doesn't make you a true man. Protecting those you care about does."

"Oh, spare me the bleeding-heart logic." Vihaan took off his jacket and Max tossed the gun to the side. They both took fighting stances and Vihaan made the first swing. It connected with Max's arm, but he was prepared for it. He grabbed Vihaan's wrist and twisted his arm behind his back, slamming him into the floor. The older man growled and flipped them over so his son was pinned to the ground. Max put up a block and managed to avoid being hit until he could escape.

"You forgot that you taught me everything I know."

"I didn't forget. You're just lousy at this."

A solid kick was landed to Vihaan's abdomen, sending him backwards. Nikki watched as the gang leader slammed his elbow into his son's head, knocking him to the ground and making her scream in horror. It was then that she smelled the smoke and knew what was happening.

 _They're setting the building on fire!_

"Max!" she yelled, right before her boyfriend landed a strong punch to Vihaan's face, a crack ringing out. Blood spurted out of the older man's nose, Max kicking him in the jaw to send him to the ground. She knew she had to make this end. Vihaan was down.

Quickly, she dove across the open room and grabbed the gun Max had discarded.

"Max! Quick!" she yelled, sliding it to him. He picked it up, his foot on Vihaan's throat. The smell of smoke reached his nose and he knew what was happening as much as Nikki did.

"Let him burn," Max declared, landing a curb-stomp to his birth father's rib cage before running for Nikki and dropping the gun. "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

The two began to rush for the exit, Nikki's heart pounding faster than their feet against the linoleum. The fire was spreading quickly now, the thugs in Vihaan's gang having added gasoline to the flames. Unfortunately, Max was still hurt from his fights with Vihaan and his thugs. He stumbled, his legs giving out.

"Max, hurry!" she urged. The flames were surrounding them now, making it difficult to breathe.

"Get out while you can," he replied. "Leave me behind."

"No! I can't! I lost you once; I'm not losing you again!"

She brought his arm over her shoulder and supported him, pulling him out just as a flaming rafter hit where he'd been crouched a moment earlier. He slumped onto her, losing consciousness. Her heart stopped for a moment, but she kept going until she found the door. She kicked it open, bringing her and Max into the cold of January.

"They're out!" she heard Neil yell.

"Is that ambulance here?!" Ered called.

"Max, we're out," Nikki whispered. He didn't respond.

"Mom! Daddy!"

She caught sight of her daughter running towards them, Neil trying in vain to keep her from getting close. Paramedics were on hand, along with the fire department.

"Give him to us, ma'am," the paramedic urged.

"I'm riding with you."

"He's severely injured. We need as much space as we can get to work on him."

Reluctantly, Nikki relented and hugged her baby girl, who was sobbing her eyes out. They were both moved away from the fire by one of the firefighters, Nikki glad that it was all over.

Then a gunshot rang out.

Pain bloomed in Nikki's back. Lovetta was screaming and Nikki turned to see a grievously-injured Vihaan holding a gun.

"That's what you get, you stupid slutty bitch," he cackled before collapsing. Immediately, he was grabbed by the three Agent Millers and put into the back of a car. Nikki felt woozy and fell forward, hearing Max scream her name in horror.

The world went black around her.

* * *

 ***cackles maniacally***

 **You didn't think they were both going to make it out unscathed, did you? Also, side note: I published an explicit version of chapter five, "Reunion", on AO3. If you want to read the full version of the events of that night, you'll have to check it ou.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	8. Hospital

Lovetta watched the door of the building as flames began to lick the roof. Her heart was pounding, and she struggled against Neil's grip to get closer.

"Mom and Daddy are in there!" she screamed.

"And they want you safe out _here_!" Neil told her, gripping her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "You can't go in, Vet. Your mom and dad are the strongest people I know. They'll make it out."

As if to punctuate this point, the door flew open. Nikki came out, supporting an unconscious Max on her shoulder as she coughed from the smoke.

"They're out!" Neil yelled, catching the attention of the authorities present.

"Is there an ambulance?!" Ered called. Lovetta broke away from Neil and saw her mother whisper something to her father.

"Mom! Daddy!" Lovetta ran for them, Neil trying to grab her arm and pull her back as the paramedics approached Max and Nikki.

"Give him to us, ma'am," the lead paramedic stated.

"I'm riding with you," Nikki insisted as they put Max on a gurney and wheeled him towards the ambulances.

"He's severely injured. We need as much space as we can get to work on him."

Nikki relented and Lovetta ran over to her mom. They were both crying, relieved that it was all over. Firefighters moved them farther away from the fire.

Then came the gunshot.

Lovetta stared up at her mother, who had a look of shock and pain on her face. Horrified, the little girl looked towards the building, where she could see Vihaan swaying, holding a gun.

"That's what you get, you stupid slutty bitch!" he cackled before collapsing. He was rushed to a car, but Lovetta didn't care. She got a glimpse of her mother's back and saw a bullet-hole in the sweater Nikki was wearing. Blood was soaking the area around it. Lovetta glanced over at the ambulance, where she could see her father struggling against the paramedics. He'd evidently woken up just in time to see Nikki be shot.

"NIKKI! NO! LET ME GO! FUCK YOU! SHE NEEDS ME!"

One of them took out a syringe and jabbed it into Max's neck, making him slump over. Nikki collapsed next to her daughter and was also put on a gurney.

"Mom?!" Lovetta whimpered, tears in her eyes as Neil picked her up.

"She's gonna be fine, Lovetta," he whispered. "Let's go to the hospital and wait."

She felt like she was a toddler again as she clung to Neil like a vine to a tree and let him carry her to his car. In one day, she'd been kidnapped, hurt, rescued, and watched both her parents go down within five minutes of each other. It was a lot for anybody, much less a ten-year-old girl.

"Are Mom and Daddy gonna die?" she asked in a quiet voice as Neil drove towards Sleepy Peak General.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Vet. There's a definite possibility that they could die. But that's statistics talking." He gave her a gentle smile. "Your parents are two of the most stubborn fucking people I've ever met. They hate following statistics, so it's more likely that they'll both pull through. Especially your mom. She's the toughest person I know."

"And Daddy?"

"Since when do you call him Dad?"

"That's not important."

"You've spent the last couple months calling him Max."

"I realized he was everything I needed a dad to be when he came in to rescue me. So… now I call him Daddy."

They pulled up to the hospital and headed inside, where they were told both Max and Nikki were in surgery. David, Gwen, and Lizzie showed up a few minutes later, all just as concerned about the well-being of the couple. They were told that Nikki was fine once the bullet was removed, since it hadn't hit anything vital, but it _would_ leave a scar where it had hit. Lovetta ran for her mother's room immediately.

"Mom!" she squealed.

"Hey, Lovey!" Nikki greeted her, bandages cris-crossing her back. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. They said you're gonna have a scar?"

"I have a bunch of little scars. This is gonna be a big one. And you know what? I think I might get a tattoo."

"A tattoo?"

"Yep. A tattoo over the scar, once it heals enough. Or maybe I'll just leave it."

"It's proof you're a cool mom."

"I'm _always_ a cool mom, sweetie. It's my job." Nikki knit her eyebrows together. "Where's your dad?"

"The doctors said he won't wake up for a little while longer—something about his injuries causing smoke inhalation to be more severe."

"Well, we'll be right here waiting for him when he comes to."

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

The all-too-familiar whir of an EKG was the first thing Max heard. He blinked his eyes open, his entire body feeling numb to sensation. He could, however, feel a weight on the end of his bed. Sitting up as much as his current state would allow, he could see a very familiar little girl of mixed race curled up at his feet. David was asleep in a chair nearby. Max swore the EKG stopped for a moment along with his heart.

 _Where the hell is Nikki?_

His memories were a bit fuzzy. He could remember getting into a fight with his birth father, running through a fire with Nikki… her supporting him. He guessed it was after that he'd lost consciousness.

Only to wake up long enough to see Vihaan shoot Nikki in the back.

He remembered screaming her name, then one of the paramedics injecting something into his neck. That was the last thing he could remember.

"Lovetta," he whispered, moving his foot slightly. It was a little painful to even do that, but it got his daughter's attention. She raised her head up, looking at him with exhaustion on her face before her eyes lit up.

"Daddy, you're awake!"

 _Holy shit, she actually calls me Daddy now. That's so fucking cute…_

David shot up in his chair.

"Lovetta, what happened?!" he yelped, grabbing the chair as a weapon.

"Calm down, Dad," Max sighed. David dropped the chair with a clatter.

"Oh, you're awake!" He ran over and embraced his adopted son.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Where's Nikki?"

"She's with the doctor right now," David informed him. "She's fine, Max."

"She got shot in the fucking _back_ , Dad. That hurts like a _bitch_."

"Language! There is a _ten-year-old_ in the room!"

"I was using worse than that when I was ten and you know it."

"Yes, she _did_ get shot in the back, but they were able to remove the bullet."

"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt." The three looked towards the door to see Nikki, wearing a red-and-yellow-striped sweater. "Lovey, David, could you give us a minute alone?"

"But I wanna spend time with you and Daddy!" Lovetta protested. Nikki laughed.

"And you can, but I haven't spent any time alone with him since he was in the hospital."

"Okay…" Lovetta and David left, Nikki closing the door behind them before sitting on the end of Max's bed.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" She faced him, confused.

"You got shot because of me. And in the back, too. That hurts like a motherfucking _bitch_."

"Yeah, but it wasn't so bad once the bullet was out. He didn't hit anything vital."

"So, what happened to Old Son of a Bitch?"

"The Millers told me he's going to maximum security at Super Guantanamo. They caught Daniel and Jen, too—they'll be in the psych ward there."

"Thank God." He leaned back and she grabbed the little remote that tilted his bed up and down. She tilted it up so that she and Max could talk face to face.

"I haven't talked to you in almost two weeks. Let me have this."

"I've been out for _two weeks_?!"

"Your body gave out due to smoke inhalation and how badly you were hurt. If you hadn't been in the fight, they said you would've been fine."

"I'm a fucking mess."

"You're a sexy mess."

"Nikki!"

"What?"

"Our daughter is right outside this room! Not to mention my adoptive father!"

"Oh, shut up." She pulled her legs onto the bed and sat with them crossed.

"So, why were you talking to the doctor earlier?"

"Well, after they brought me in and got the bullet out, they found something else that they were concerned about."

"Oh, Jesus Christ. Don't tell me you have fucking cancer."

"Nope." She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "It's good news. I haven't told anybody else yet, but—"

The door opened as the doctor came in. Nikki pouted.

"Ah, Mr. Greene. You're finally awake. Good."

"So, what's the diagnosis?" Max asked, annoyed.

"A couple more weeks of rest combined with some physical therapy and you'll be right as rain."

"Is that all you needed to say?"

"Yep. Get well soon."

The doctor left them alone again and Max rolled his eyes.

"Nikki, what's the good news that you haven't told anybody else yet?" he asked.

"Well…" She gave him another quick kiss. "I'm pregnant."

His reaction was involuntary. He sat straight up and stared at her, not quite believing it.

"You are? How far along?" he croaked.

"About two months." Her smirk told him something—they'd, once again, conceived a baby on the basement couch. More specifically, he'd gotten her pregnant their first time having sex in eleven years.

"Oh my God." He was a little in shock.

"You're not happy."

"No, I'm _thrilled_! It's just… I could've lost both of you, and it was my fault you were in there in the first place."

"Max, you might be my boyfriend, but that doesn't mean you control my decisions. I was the one who ran in after you and antagonized your birth father."

"Let's agree to never go after gangsters like that again, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled gently. "I love you, Max."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Welcome home!"

Max smiled a genuine smile as he came through the front door. Lizzie, Lovetta, and Gwen had set up a big welcome-home display for him while Nikki and David picked him up at the hospital. Neil was holding a camera and snapping pictures.

"Thanks, guys," he said. Nikki was holding onto him in case he fell (which the doctor had said was likely due to the fact that he still had therapy to go through).

"Lizzie and I made a cake!" Lovetta chirped happily, grabbing her father's hand.

"Aw, sweet!" Max replied, following his daughter through the kitchen door. Nikki smiled.

 _He might not have been here for baby number one, but he's gonna do a great job with baby number two._

"So, when are you going to drop the news about the baby to the rest of us?" Neil asked. David, Lizzie, and Gwen were also in the kitchen, so Nikki was alone with her brother.

"How do you know about that?!" she hissed, making sure she couldn't be overheard by everybody else.

"I work at the hospital, Nikki. And I have a friend in the prenatal ward. She's the one who did the ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay, and she let me know you were pregnant." Nikki stared at the floor. "Does Max know yet?"

"I told him the day he woke up. I figured he should be the first to know."

"I'm impressed he hasn't run yet."

"He promised me he wasn't going to leave me like that again, so shut your damn mouth, Neil."

"Nik, are you gonna eat this cake?" Max called, poking his head out of the kitchen. Nikki smiled and ran over. Max noticed Neil's glare, then excused himself to go talk to one of his oldest friends. "If we're gonna do this, let's do it out back."

"Fine." The two headed onto the back porch, making sure they weren't in view of the kitchen window.

"Let me guess: you're expecting me to run again."

"I just keep thinking back to when she was pregnant with Lovetta. She got into a screaming match with Candy the day she found out and I remember her crying for days. The hormones certainly didn't help."

"I can promise you right now that I'm not leaving again. If something happens, I want to be able to protect Nikki and the kids."

"How far along is Nikki, just out of curiosity?"

"Two and a half months."

"…you've been back in town for three and a half months."

"And I slept with her at the beginning of December, after the whole thing with Jason went down."

"Son of a bitch. You didn't—"

"She came to _me_ , and one thing led to another. Look, like I said, I'm not leaving. I missed all of Lovetta's big milestones, and I'm not missing this kid's."

"Well, you didn't miss _all_ her milestones. There's still stuff like her first kiss—"

"Yeah, that's not happening until she's in college, minimum."

"You're not going to be able to control that."

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

"Max? Neil?"

Nikki came out of the house, balancing three plates with cake on them.

"You know, in a few months, I'll be able to do this on my belly," she giggled, handing a plate to each of the guys. She sat down between them and they looked out at the yard. The beginnings of the nearby forest lined the edges of the yard, reminding her of when they were kids, before all this bullshit happened.

"Nikki, what's wrong?" Max asked.

"Nothing. It's just… remember your eleventh birthday? The three of us sat here like this, eating cake and looking at the forest while we were waiting for Candy and Carl to pick me and Neil up."

"I'd forgotten about that," Neil admitted. "The three of us used to be so close. What the fuck happened?"

"We grew up," Max replied with a sigh. "I got dragged into a world I didn't want to be involved in, Nikki became a mom, and you… you were just always more mature than we were."

"I wouldn't say that. I did plenty of stupid shit with you guys."

"Remember the day I got my first period?" Nikki laughed. "You freaked out so much!"

"I thought I'd poisoned you! At least I wasn't apathic like Max!"

"And I told you guys that she wasn't dying," Max chuckled.

"It was close, though," Nikki pointed out. "I found out that periods are basically a woman's body punishing her for not getting pregnant and they stop when she's _actually_ pregnant."

"So you won't be having any for a while?"

"Not until after baby number two gets here."

The three sat there, feeling the chill of February with the promise of spring on the horizon.

"Has it seriously only been three and a half months since I came back?" Max asked. Nikki nodded.

"DAAAADDY!"

The back door opened and a blur of dark green came outside, tackling Max. He managed to grab his cake and hold it above his head.

"Hey, Vet. What's up?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to hang out with you!" She had a little smile on her face as she hugged him. But he wasn't stupid; he followed his daughter's gaze to the cake.

"How much cake have you had?"

"Only two pieces!"

"Yeah, that's enough sugar for you."

"Aw…"

"Besides, I've been eating nothing but hospital food for the past two weeks. Let me have something that actually tastes decent."

"Get used to it until it's Nikki's turn to cook," joked Neil. Nikki punched him in the shoulder, smiling.

"Mom's cooking is better than yours!" Lovetta snapped. Max smirked.

"Well, Vet, I know how to cook, too."

"Hopefully it's better than Neil's."

"Hey!" Neil protested.

"Anything's better than Neil's," Max snickered. Neil crossed his arms.

"What's going on out here?" David asked, coming outside. Gwen and Lizzie were right behind him.

"We're just talking," Nikki replied. "Oh, and… we have an announcement to make."

"What kind of announcement?" Lizzie wondered aloud, sitting on the porch swing David had built after Lovetta was born.

"Well…" She glanced at Max, who nodded. "I'm pregnant again."

Lizzie fell off the swing as Lovetta's eyes became the size of dinner plates.

"You're having a baby, Mom?!" she gasped, bouncing a little.

"Yep." Nikki put her hand on her belly. "I'm about two and a half months along, according to the doctor." David was crying tears of joy, while Gwen looked apprehensive.

"Not to put a damper on things, but where are we going to _put_ a baby? We don't have room."

"Oh, damn," Nikki murmured.

"I might have a solution," Max spoke up. "While I was in the hospital, the Millers came by and told me that they were giving me pay for going undercover for almost eleven years. It was a decent paycheck—enough to put a down payment on a house for a family of four. Not to mention they're inspecting Vihaan's assets and anything legally earned will go to me. He didn't have a will, and I'm his only living relative."

"That's… awesome, actually," Neil commented.

"It's the only good thing that bastard ever gave me."

"Besides life," Nikki corrected.

"We're gonna miss you guys," David sighed. "It won't be as lively without you around."

"I'm going to college next year," Lizzie reminded him.

"Oh, that's right…"

"Hey, if we ever need a babysitter, you're first on the list," Max told him.

They had one big family group hug.

* * *

 **WHOO OKAY**

 **That happened. Yes, Max and Nikki are fine. I'm not a heartless monster.**

 **Oh, and Lovetta's getting a little brother or sister.**

 **AND I LIED WHEN I SAID THIS WAS GONNA BE SHORT! I REALIZED I HAVE A LOOSE END TO TIE UP STILL SO THIS IS GONNA KEEP GOING!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	9. Grandma Candy

Spring arrived and things were changing in the Greene household.

For one thing, Max and Nikki were house-hunting, which was a massive headache. Not to mention that the whole family was currently dealing with Nikki's second pregnancy, which had gotten off to a rough start with the whole 'getting shot in the back' thing. It was better now, though, and Nikki pointed out that Max had a similar scar in almost the exact same place. When asked by her daughter how she knew that, Nikki and Max both turned bright pink and avoided each other's gazes for a little while after that.

"Do you have any idea what kind of place you're looking for?" Gwen asked Max as he tapped his pen on the kitchen table.

"I was thinking a three-bedroom place with a big yard, somewhere near the woods for Nikki's sake."

"She's _still_ affected by that whole needing-nature thing? She works at a diner!"

" _Worked_ at a diner. With me back in town, she's been working on her certification as a park ranger."

"Okay. So, a three-bedroom, two bath, with a big yard and access to the woods… that actually sounds doable around here."

"And like a dream house," Nikki commented, entering the kitchen. Her baby belly was slightly visible under her shirt as she opened the fridge and pulled out a piece of cake she'd swiped from the diner before she'd quite two days earlier.

"That's what I'm keeping in mind with this, Nik," Max told her. "How are you holding up with all this?"

"I'm doing better than I was with Lovetta."

"Yeah," Gwen affirmed without thinking. "You weren't hospitalized due to stress this time."

"Wait, _hospitalized_?!" Max gasped. "What the fuck?!"

"It turns out final exams, heartbreak, being disowned by the one parent you're in contact with, and pregnancy are a bad combination," Nikki said with a shrug. "I was in the hospital until I stabilized, then I came home. That's all there is to it."

 _And it's my fucking fault all that happened. I broke your heart and got you pregnant, which is why your mom disowned you. I'm gonna be better, Nik, I promise._

"Well, I promise that things are going to be better this time," Max stated, getting up and hugging his pregnant girlfriend around the waist. She smiled and they started kissing.

"Uh, adoptive mother in the room!" called Gwen. "Save it for the basement!"

Max and Nikki separated, both of them blushing. Then Nikki grabbed Max by the wrist and led him out of the kitchen, a smile on her face. Gwen knew _exactly_ what was going through the expectant mother's mind at this point.

"Have fun, kids! Keep the noise down, though!"

"What was that about?" inquired Lizzie, coming into the kitchen.

"Oh, just pregnancy hormones raging and making Nikki want to bone Max into hell a dozen times over. You know, normal stuff."

"Ew. Thanks for that image I'll never get out of my head."

"It'll go away. Max said the same thing when I was pregnant with you."

"And there's another one. Can we stop talking about this?"

"Sure. Have you picked a college yet?"

"Yep. Now I just need to really buckle down to pick a major. Just not liberal arts or psychology."

"They're both valid fields."

"That can't get me a decent job and I'll end up working at a summer camp."

"Hey, that worked out pretty well. I met your dad, your brother, and Nikki, and because of all that, I got to be a mom _and_ a grandma within the space of about seven years."

"True, but I don't know if _that's_ the path I want to take."

"Well, when you figure it out, you've got the rest of us supporting you."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Just try not to get pregnant or burnt out before you finish school, okay?"

"Gotcha." Lizzie sat down, drinking a can of Maple Zap! that Neil had left in the fridge last time he was over. "Jesus, this stuff's basically espresso in a can. How the hell does Neil drink it?"

"Nerds have stomachs of pure titanium. Hell if I know how they do it."

Lizzie laughed, but it was cut short by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The teenager got up to answer it and Gwen went back to her shitty romance novel of the week.

"Uh, Mom…? You might want to come here!"

Gwen put down her book and headed to the front door, where there was somebody she'd never expected to see.

"Candy?"

* * *

"…following this, the Spanish conquistadors killed much of the native population of Tenochtitlan by way of the sword and disease. Now, are there any questions?"

Lovetta raised her hand and Miss Baker pointed at her.

"Yes, Lovetta?"

"Why were the Spanish so obsessed with gold?"

"Because money is power, but it's also the root of all evil. Remember that, kids." She checked her watch. "Okay, remember to read up on the precolonial civilizations of the Americas. There's a test next week. Study hard!"

The bell rang and Lovetta headed out to the carline. Her dad was waiting, as usual, but her mom was in the car, too. Confused, the ten-year-old hopped into the backseat and made herself comfortable. She noticed that her dad looked pissed as hell and her mom was on the verge of tears.

"What happened?! Did Vihaan or Daniel get out of jail?" Lovetta asked.

"No, Vet," Max sighed. "Unfortunately, somebody _else_ decided they wanted into our lives, so she showed up on our doorstep earlier and is still at the house. She's refusing to leave until she meets you."

Lovetta knit her eyebrows together in confusion as her dad drove towards the house. Nikki stared out the window the entire time until they actually got home. A fancy red car was out front, one Lovetta didn't recognize in the slightest. Upon entering the house, she saw a woman with the same mint-green hair as Nikki (save for some graying streaks) sitting on the couch.

"Uh, who's that?" she asked her dad.

"Lovetta, this is your _other_ grandmother," he sighed. "Meet Candy. Candy, this is Lovetta, your oldest grandchild."

"Oh, she's just the _cutest_! Come here, sweetheart!" Candy held out her arms for a hug, which Lovetta accepted. Nikki excused herself to go upstairs and Lovetta could see tears in her mother's eyes. Max followed his girlfriend, a worried expression on his face.

"Hey, Grandma Candy?" Lovetta said. "How come I haven't met you before?"

"Well, I made a bad decision and your mother ran away from home. She ended up here."

"A bad decision?"

"I tried to tell her what to do with you, and she didn't want that. She wanted to raise you. And it seems like she did a good job." Candy had a smile plastered on her face, but Lovetta was bothered by her mother's reaction. "And now I'm hearin' that you have a little brother or sister on the way? I'm excited for you, darlin'!"

Upstairs, Nikki was pacing back and forth in her and Max's room, running her hands through her hair and biting her lip with worry. Max entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Why is she here?" she asked. "We're _finally_ at a good point and she just decides to come _barging_ back into my life!"

"Nikki, calm down," Max urged, grabbing her hand. "This isn't going to help anything. You need to stay calm."

"The day I found out I was pregnant with Lovetta, she gave me a choice: get rid of the baby or get out of the house. I chose Lovetta over her and we didn't speak until after I gave birth."

"I thought you hadn't spoken to her since you got kicked out."

"I went back after Lovetta was born to give her a second chance, and she blew me off, saying that our baby wasn't going to amount to anything more than a statistic in a trailer park. I haven't spoken to her since. And _now_ she wants into our lives?"

"Listen to me. You are one of the strongest people I know. You can handle seeing your mom for an hour. Besides, she's nowhere _near_ as bad as my birth father, right?"

"Right." Nikki gave him a hug. Suddenly, he felt something hit him, ever so lightly, in the stomach.

"What the fuck?" he asked, confused.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Something just hit me."

"That's the baby kicking." Max blinked and rested a hand on her belly. There it was again, that slight tap.

"Holy shit… this is real." His face lit up and she couldn't help but laugh.

Now she felt like she could face her mom.

They headed back downstairs to find Candy chatting with Lovetta, asking her questions about school and friends and anything a grandmother was _supposed_ to ask her granddaughter about. Nikki took a deep breath and sat down on the couch.

"Nicolette, she is just the _cutest_ thing!" gushed Candy.

"I know, Mom. I raised her for ten years." Candy's gaze traveled to Max and he could feel that familiar stare of disapproval.

"Nice to see you, too, Candy," he sighed.

"How long have you been back?"

"About six months, give or take."

"Hm. Good to know you've been supportin' my daughter while she's spent the past eleven years livin' with your parents." Lovetta, sensing her dad's rising temper, ran over and climbed onto his lap to calm him down.

"To be fair, she's only been living with them because _you_ kicked her out. You've been supporting her as much as I have—except I've now been supporting her financially for the past six months."

Candy opened and closed her mouth, unable to come up with a response to this point. Her eyes traveled to Nikki's abdomen, where the swell of baby number two was visible.

"And I see you two have gotten busy in those past six months."

"Mom, can we please discuss this when Lovetta isn't in the room?" Nikki requested.

"I _was_ hopin' to talk to you alone, Nicolette." Max got the hint and carried Lovetta out into the backyard, leaving his girlfriend alone with her mother.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm… sorry."

"Sorry?"

"I didn't react well to your first pregnancy. I should've sat down and talked to you instead of screamin' like I did. You were already hurtin', and I didn't make it better. You left, and then when you came back, you had one of the sweetest li'l babies I'd ever seen. I felt like you hadn't even needed me and I lashed out at you because I felt unwanted. And you left again, for good, and I was too busy worryin' about my own hurt feelin's to try and fix things." Nikki took a deep breath.

"Mom, do you want to know what happened while I was pregnant with Lovetta? I almost lost her because I was overstressed from everything that had happened. I was hospitalized for a month while I stabilized."

"Oh, God…"

"After I gave birth, I brought Lovetta to meet you to try and give you a second chance, and you did that lashing out thing… I didn't want you around my daughter if you were going to be that kind of influence."

"I am _so sorry_ , Nicolette. I didn't know how to apologize before, and then I heard from Neil that you were pregnant again. Then I realized that I was gonna miss out on both of my grandkids and I didn't want that to happen. That's how I was able to come see ya today."

"I'm glad you're apologizing, but that's not going to fix it."

"I know. Nothing can fix it completely." Candy gave her daughter a hug. "Bye, Nicolette. I'll see ya some other time."

Within a month of that visit, Max and Nikki found a house and moved in. Lovetta was sad to leave her grandparents behind, but she was happy to be living with both her parents. Her dad was very protective of both her and her mom, insisting on driving them wherever they needed to go. She suspected it was because of what had happened in January, but she didn't really care. All that mattered was that her family was together.

* * *

On the last day of school, Lovetta headed downstairs the first time her alarm went off. She didn't swipe at the snooze; she was excited to go to school and come home early. Her dad had even promised that the three of them could go to lunch at Campbell's Diner. Her feet hit the bottom step and she peered into the kitchen, only to find it empty. She looked into the living room and found her parents lying on the couch, asleep. Max's arm was across Nikki's belly, as if that was all the protection she and the baby needed. Quietly, Lovetta grabbed her mother's phone and unlocked it, snapping a quick picture to preserve the moment. It was too cute an opportunity to pass up.

"Hey, Mom, Daddy, wake up!" she called. Max groaned and sat up, Nikki doing the same next to him.

"Lovetta…? What time is it?"

"It's seven AM. I've got school today."

"Shit. That's right." Max got up and Nikki moved to do the same, but he had her sit back down. "I've got this handled, Nik. You just relax."

"Yes, boss," she joked, laying back down. Max headed into the kitchen, where he proceeded to make his daughter a last-day-of-school breakfast consisting of waffles, bacon, and toast. Once it was all eaten (Nikki had joined them once it was all cooked), the family of three got into the car.

"You ready for your last day of hell?" Max asked.

"Yep! Just you, me, Mom, and the baby for the entire summer."

"Exactly," Nikki agreed.

Lovetta privately wished that one day, she could have a relationship like her parents—minus the guy getting her pregnant and leaving her for eleven years, of course. Max and Nikki were obviously in love, and they weren't going to split up. That had been a fear of Lovetta's since her dad had come back—that he would leave her mom and they'd never see him again. That fear had been squashed by him coming to her rescue, and by the fact that he was so protective of the two of them. He'd rather die than hurt them.

"We're here, Lovey," Nikki said, shaking her daughter from her thoughts. Lovetta nodded and got out of the car, where she was promptly met with her two best friends.

"Last day!" James cheered, pumping his fist in victory.

"Yeah, and next week, I'm off to History Camp!" Leo announced proudly.

"NERD!" James and Lovetta laughed in unison.

"Hey, History Camp is a valid choice of where to spend my summer!"

"I'm going to Adventure Camp," James added.

"Better check the fine print!" Nikki called out the window of the car. "It might be 'and more!' "

Carline finally moved and Lovetta watched her parents go.

"What's she talking about?" Leo inquired.

"Oh, the camp she and my dad met at was a 'camp' camp, where they basically offered almost everything. Mom went to Adventure Camp, Uncle Neil went to Science Camp, and so on."

"What camp did your dad go to?" James asked. The three of them headed towards the building.

"According to him, it was 'Meet Your Best Friends and Future Parents and Stop Being Such an Asshole' Camp. Mom said he didn't really have a camp like everyone else, though, so I think he made it up."

"Your parents have a really weird relationship," Leo commented.

"They're just really in love, that's all!" Lovetta had a bright smile. "I hope that I can find something like that one day."

 _She's so cute._

That thought went through the heads of both boys at the same time, but neither was aware of that. Instead, they ran to keep up with her.

* * *

"Camp?!"

Lovetta stared at her parents in shock.

"I don't _want_ to go to camp!" she told them.

"You're not going by yourself, kiddo," Max assured her. "Remember? This is the camp your grandpa owns—Camp Campbell."

"So… the place you and Mom met?"

"Exactly," Nikki replied. "And your dad and I are heading up there with you."

"Why?"

"Well, I want to be out in nature over the summer. It's good for the baby." Nikki placed a hand on her belly. "And your dad is working at the camp. He doesn't want to leave me alone while he's gone."

"This camp is going to be family bonding, essentially."

"Exactly," Max affirmed. "We signed you up for Nature Camp. I hope you don't mind."

"Nope!" She shook her head. "Besides, I think Leo and James are going to Camp Campbell too. They saw the fine print on the pamphlets and Leo started complaining. I'm going to go pack!"

She ran upstairs and Max narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked.

"I don't know how to feel about those two…"

"The three of them are basically you, me, and Neil when we were kids. It's harmless."

"Yeah, but you and I ended up together." She smirked.

"Feeling a little bit of shotgun-dadism?"

"They're not that bad yet, but if they want to date her when they're older, they have to go through me."

"Naturally." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm gonna go pack, too."

"Be careful."

"You need to relax. I'm not going to go into labor by packing a suitcase."

"You don't know that. What were you doing when you went into labor with Lovetta?"

"Going shopping with Gwen and Lizzie."

"Yeah, you _definitely_ don't know that."

"I'm only six-and-a-half months, babe." She smiled and headed upstairs.

* * *

 **Yeah, back to Camp Campbell.**

 **In case you didn't pick up on it, I'm setting up a slight love triangle. Don't worry; I'm aware that they're still ten-year-olds. It won't come into play for a little while longer. I figured you'd all enjoy a longer story than just ending it 'and they had a second child, the end'. We'll watch Lovetta grow up a bit.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	10. A Baby at Camp Campbell

Camp Campbell.

This was the first time that Lovetta had set foot on the grounds of the place where most of her family had come to be what it was today. Her grandparents had adopted her father, her father had met her mother, and her _other_ grandparents had met. Max had said that the camp was less shitty than when he and Nikki had first gone there, which gave Lovetta hope that she would have a good summer. Besides that, David and Gwen were the legal owners of the camp and Max was one of the counselors. She'd be able to get away with more than most of the other kids.

Of course, her family brought her up to camp instead of her having to take the bus with everyone else. She hadn't even told Leo and James that she was going to camp in case they weren't going to the same one. Those fears were put to rest when the bus showed up and her two best friends got off it.

"James! Leo!" she squealed, running forward to hug them both.

"Lovetta!" Leo gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"My grandparents own the camp, silly! Mom and Daddy said I can go here for the summer!"

James looked over at where the counselors were waiting. Sure enough, there was Max, Gwen, David, Nikki, and Lizzie. Max, Lizzie, and Gwen were wearing the counselor's uniform, while Nikki wore her maternity clothes and David just appeared to be wearing an outdoorsman outfit.

"Your _entire_ family is here?" he asked.

"Grandpa says Camp Campbell is a family business. Daddy, Grandma, and Aunt Lizzie are the counselors, while Mom's just here because Daddy didn't want to leave her by herself."

"Hey, Vet!" Max called. "Get over here so the other kids know where to go!"

"Okay!"

Before long, all of the campers were in front of their counselors. There were sixteen of them (which Gwen had tried to _nope_ right out of before David grabbed her shirt and reminded her that there were five adults working this year) and there was a good mix of personalities just based off what the kids were wearing and how they held themselves.

"All right, kids!" David announced brightly. "Welcome to Camp Campbell, where there's endless possibilities—and no, that's not hyperbole! I'm David, the owner, and these are your counselors—Gwen, Max, and Lizzie. If none of us are available, feel free to direct your questions to Nikki. She knows this camp as well as we do."

"I know it _better_ , David," Nikki laughed from where she was sitting. Max smirked at his pregnant girlfriend and turned back to the kids.

"I'll tell you shits this right now," he stated bluntly. One girl gasped at the language. "Yeah, I swear. We all do except David, so feel free to curse as much as you want. Anyway, we don't put up with bullshit around here. You do what we say when we say to do it, or risk the consequences. There aren't a lot of rules, but I'm going to say the few we have. No going into the woods by yourselves; you have to have a counselor with you. Our camp mascot, Muack the Second, is around here somewhere, but do _not_ provoke her unless you want to lose a finger or a toe. No swimming in the lake without a counselor nearby and watching you. And last but not least, please do _not_ stab the counselors. Any questions?"

One of the girls—who had brown hair and freckles—raised her hand.

"Yes, uh…?" Gwen stated, pointing at her.

"Kate. What do we do if Nikki goes into labor?"

"You run like hell to get one of us adults. Any other questions?"

Nobody raised their hands.

"All right, then!" Lizzie chirped, clapping her hands. "Let's get started with your cabin assignments! There are two cabins—one for the boys and one for the girls. You'll be assigned a bunkmate, who you will be sharing a bunk bed with. Other than that, you're all free to do what you want."

"Wait, seriously?" gasped a girl with orangish-pink hair.

"We'll have camp activities daily," David explained. "But in the afternoons, you kids will be doing whatever camp you signed up for. Meals will be served on a regular schedule and on Friday nights, we'll be having a campfire! But our top priority this summer is to make sure you have as much fun as possible."

The kids followed Lizzie and Gwen towards the cabins, while Max remained by the mess hall with Nikki. Lovetta was put with some Theater Camp girl named Coral (the one with the orangish-pink hair, Max guessed), and her two best friends were paired together. The rest of the afternoon was spent showing the kids around the camp, and since it was Friday, they ended with a campfire on the shore of the lake.

* * *

"…and then," continued the dark-red-haired boy, his tone rising, "she raised her long scissors and cut the girl's face from ear to ear, giving her a sickening, twisted grin. 'That will be the fate of all who answer as you did!' she cried with glee, shoving the girl to the ground. And it's been that way ever since."

The other kids were shaking with fear. Lovetta was clinging to Leo and James at the same time, her bunkmate sitting with a wide-eyed look of terror. The kid seemed satisfied that his story had successfully scared the shit out of his fellow campers, so he smirked before sitting back down.

"Anybody else?" Max asked, impressed at the fact that the kid had told an actually scary story. Nobody seemed willing to follow up. Most of them had fear in their eyes, except for a girl whose dark red hair matched the storyteller's. She was glaring daggers at the boy.

"Okay, kids," laughed Lizzie, shaking her head. "Time for bed."

Lovetta was helped to her feet by the boys on either side of her, which made Max narrow his eyes. Nikki gripped his arm, calming him down and reminding him that these two weren't going to do anything to their precious little girl while he was around. She knew his protectiveness was only due to the fact that Daniel had gotten close enough to kidnap their daughter, and that he hadn't been able to prevent his birth father from hurting her.

"Night, Mom! Night, Daddy!" Lovetta called once she was on her feet.

"Night, Lovetta!" they both called back.

"Your _parents_ are here?" asked Coral, tilting her head at Lovetta as they walked towards the cabin.

"Yep." Lovetta nodded. "Nikki's my mom, Max is my dad."

"They can't be older than twenty-five."

"Twenty-seven, actually. Mom had me when she was seventeen."

"Wow… and you're just _now_ getting a younger sibling?"

"It's complicated, but yeah. Do you have any brothers or sisters?'

"I have an older brother. I've lived with him since I was four. My mom and dad weren't great people, but I'm glad Mom left me with my brother instead of forcing me to live with her."

"You're luckier than my dad was. He didn't get away from his birth parents until he was ten. That's when David and Gwen adopted him."

"So your family runs the camp… we can get away with so much stuff."

"Hey, I don't want to send my mom into labor early!"

"Kidding… mostly. I want to prank your grandpa. He seems gullible enough."

"He is. We play jokes on him all the time."

Coral grinned and Lovetta knew she had just made a new friend—a _female_ friend, at that. Most girls avoided her at all costs because she was a tomboy. She was happy to have a friend she could talk to about things she couldn't discuss with James and Leo.

They reached the cabins and got into their beds. A few minutes later, they could hear the door open. Lovetta knew it was just her dad doing some checks to ensure the campers were safe. It was something he did at home, too, to make sure she was still in bed and not hiding downstairs to try and pull an all-nighter or something like that.

She pulled her teddy bear closer and snuggled under the blankets. The cabin felt like home, despite the fact that it wasn't even close to her house. She'd brought this up to her family and her mom had simply said that nature was in her blood. Max stated that Lovetta took more after her mother than him.

She knew Camp Campbell was the place for her.

* * *

After a month at the camp, Lovetta had gotten used to the new daily schedule. She'd spend the morning doing an activity with her family (and the other campers, of course) and the afternoon either doing her Nature Camp activities or messing around with James, Leo, and/or Coral. Her dad approved of the fact that she had made a new friend who wasn't a guy, but Coral drove him crazy with her constant ramblings of Shakespeare quotes and humming of showtunes. Lovetta found it funny that her dad had an issue with Coral's little habits, but she didn't find it funny when Tristan (the dark-red-haired boy who'd scared them all that first night) made fun of Coral for being clingy. Coral had confessed that she had abandonment issues, which Lovetta had accepted as a part of her new friend. It was just a part of life.

Speaking of life and camp, one morning, Lovetta was greeted by an annual event being held by Camp Campbell.

The Camporee.

"So, what exactly is this thing?" Tristan asked Max.

"This is a competition between all three camps on Lake Lilac," he stated. "Us, the Flower Scouts, and the Wood Scouts. Nikki's sitting out because it's always stressful, but you have the rest of us cheering you on."

As if on cue, a van pulled up, pink and decorated with other girly designs. The Flower Scouts got out, a batch that looked a significant improvement over the ones who'd been campers when Max was younger. Not as bitchy, if you asked him. Then their Garden Mother got out of the driver's seat. He recognized her immediately.

Sasha Harris.

"Hey, Sasha," he greeted her nervously. She caught sight of him and strutted over before slapping him across the face.

"Nice to see you, dick-bag!" she snapped. "Does Nikki know you're here?"

"Yeah, she does," he replied, holding his cheek. "She's inside, actually. And we're fine."

"Hmph. I'm still pissed that you dumped her through a note."

"Daddy, why did Sasha slap you?" Lovetta asked.

"She's mad at me for hurting your mom all those years ago," Max told his daughter.

"Can we get on with this?" requested a man who was obviously an older Pikeman. "My scouts are ready to make fools out of your campers."

"Some things never change, eh, Pikeman?" Max laughed. "Good to see you."

"And good to see _you_ taking responsibility for Nicolette." The three camp leaders nodded at each other and the Camporee began.

The Flower Scouts section of the Camporee was certainly easy for Lovetta, who had a gift of grace that had skipped over her mother. Not to mention her outdoors skills which came in handy during the Wood Scout section. Still, it was a close race, and the final activity for Camp Campbell popped up, from Ruby (Art Camp).

Her challenge?

Draw as realistic a portrait as possible in five minutes.

Quartermaster fired the gun and it was off to the races. Ruby started with a rough sketch, followed by outlining. Her opponents did the same, and when the five minutes was up, their scores were tallied.

Camp Campbell had won by ten points.

In the middle of their celebration, Max's phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket and checked it. Fear flooded his eyes and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

 _It's time._

Just those two words from Nikki.

Immediately, he ran for the counselor's cabin. He entered to find his girlfriend on the floor, panting heavily as she gripped her belly.

"Nik! Fuck. Come on. You gotta get up so we can get to the hospital."

She gripped his arm as he helped her to her feet and they exited the cabin. The campers, of course, were freaking out. Especially Lovetta. He escorted Nikki to the car and got in, David, Gwen, and Lizzie trying to calm the campers down. Max's heart was pounding as he turned the key in the ignition of the Camp-Mobile.

It wouldn't start.

And now he was having a goddamn heart attack.

 _It's not like this is her first kid! Why are you freaking out?!_

 _It's been ten and a half years since she gave birth! And I wasn't here last time!_

 _How about you calm down? Gwen and David were here; they can help her._

 _Shit, that's right._

"Max, what's wrong?" Nikki asked.

"The fucking car won't start."

"Call an ambul—" She yelped as more pain shot through her belly.

"We're going to have to do this here! The hospital's too far away!"

"We _really_ didn't think this through, did we?"

Max helped her into the infirmary, Gwen and David not far behind. Lizzie was left alone with the kids, who she made sure were calmed down after one of their counselors essentially had a breakdown in front of them. Nikki had a shorter labor this time, which was weird given the fact that her labor with Lovetta had only taken three hours.

On July 17 at 5:32 PM, Oliver was born, the first baby born at Camp Campbell.

Not exactly something Max wanted for his kid, but whatever. An ambulance showed up a couple hours later to take Nikki and Oliver to the hospital to make sure there weren't any complications, after Lovetta had met her brother, of course.

* * *

 **Short chapter today. I just didn't have much to say, but the next chapter will be a time-skip to Lovetta in seventh grade. Why? Because I said so.**

 **My story, my rules.**

 **Also, we're ten chapters in and nothing really noteworthy happens again until she's in seventh grade, so... yeah.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	11. Epilogue: Wedding Bells

"Wake up!"

Lovetta opened her eyes to see her two-and-a-half-year-old brother sitting on her legs. He had a goofy grin on his face as he grabbed her arm.

"I'm up, Ollie! I'm up!" she laughed, snatching him into a hug.

"Off!" he yelped, almost falling off the bed. She let go and helped him to the floor. He toddled out of her room and she smiled.

The twelve-year-old got out of bed and got dressed for school, frowning as she struggled to pull a brush through her curls. Her hair had _not_ gotten easier to manage with time. She finally gave up and tied it back into a ponytail before heading downstairs. Her dad was drinking his coffee and her mom was trying to get Ollie to sit still so he could eat his breakfast.

"Morning, Vet," Max greeted her.

"Morning, Dad."

"You ready for the first day of seventh grade?"

"Ready as I _can_ be. Middle school's a bitch." She started to get out the stuff to make her cereal.

"I know it is."

"Is it possible to drop out?"

"Yeah, but we aren't gonna let you do that." Ollie snickered and Lovetta sighed. "Besides, if you dropped out, you couldn't hang out with your friends. And I know you want to keep that going."

Lovetta stuck out her tongue before eating her breakfast. Once she was done, she brushed her teeth and grabbed her stuff. She watched Max give Nikki a kiss goodbye and mess up Ollie's hair before heading for the door.

"Bye, Mom!" Lovetta called, running outside. She buckled into the front seat as Max started the car.

"Got everything?" Max asked.

"Yep!"

"Great. Your mom's going to pick you up."

"Wait, she's allowed to drive now?"

"She can handle it. I keep forgetting we're not in high school anymore sometimes, and that she raised a kid by herself for ten years."

"Speaking of Mom… when are you going to pop the question?" Max slammed on the brakes—both in response to his daughter's question and the fact that some asshole had just run a red light.

"What the hell, Vet?"

"It's just that you dated Mom for three years before the whole thing with Vihaan happened, and you've been dating her for almost three years since. You guys are almost thirty and you have two kids; isn't it time to finally put a ring on her finger?"

"I know. I'm just shocked you're saying I should."

"Are you going to ask her?"

"Open the glove compartment." She unlatched the compartment to find a small velvet box, which she opened to find a ring inside.

"When were you going to ask her?!" she gasped excitedly.

"I was going to ask her when we go over to David and Gwen's for the end-of-summer barbeque. Any objections to that?"

"Nope. Do it in front of all of us. I want to see Mom knock you down when you ask her because she's so happy."

"And, knowing her, that's exactly what's going to happen. I'll ask and she'll tackle me to the fucking ground before saying yes. _If_ she says yes." He got a look of worry on his face and Lovetta put a hand on his arm.

"Mom's _going_ to say yes, Dad. You guys have been through too much _not_ to get married."

"Thanks, kiddo."

"So, for the wedding, I was thinking we could have it at Camp Campbell and have Quartermaster officiate. Grandpa can walk Mom down the aisle, Ollie can be the ring-bearer, and I can be the flower girl or whatever."

"How long have you been planning this?"

"Since Ollie was born."

"Right… well, we're here." Lovetta nodded and slid out of the car, meeting up with Coral, Leo, and James outside the school as her father drove away.

"You guys ready for the barbeque?" she asked excitedly.

"I'm not gonna miss the chance to hang out with the coolest family in Sleepy Peak!" Coral stated, making finger-guns at her best friend and trying to keep her cello case from falling.

"Yeah," agreed James. "Mom says I need to hang out with you guys even more than I already do. I'm not entirely sure how that's possible."

"She wants you out of the house," Leo told him bluntly. "Come on. Let's get to class."

"I need to stop by the band room first," Coral sighed. "I have to drop off my cello or _She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_ will try and trip me in the halls again."

Yeah, middle school sucked. It's middle school, after all, but Lovetta and her friends had the added bonus of having to go to school with _Alexis fucking Winters_ once again. Jessica was no longer trying to influence her daughter like she had before, but that didn't mean the Mama Alpha Bitch didn't still resent the entire Greene family for humiliating her—and Alexis was more than willing to make fun of Lovetta. This time around, however, Lovetta had backup in the form of her three best friends.

"Alexis needs to get a life," Lovetta scoffed. "She knows we're not putting up with her bullshit."

"Well, if it isn't the Four Stooges!" The four looked up to see Alexis, Lauren, and Bianca (the three had made up upon hitting middle school). "Where do you think you're going?"

"To class," Lovetta deadpanned. "Bye."

"How's your whore of a mom?"

"She's great, considering she's been in a steady relationship for almost three years and the guy she's with is _my birth father_. See ya." She and her friends headed off, leaving Alexis silently fuming.

* * *

David yelped as he burnt his thumb on the grill. Gwen rolled her eyes.

"I told you, be more careful," she sighed. "You may be the grill-master in this family, but that doesn't mean you're immune to burns."

"I know." David smiled.

"We're here!"

The two turned to see their oldest grandchild running across the yard, her brother toddling right behind her. David dashed over and picked up Ollie, sweeping Lovetta into a hug at the same time.

"I've missed you guys so much!" he declared.

"Grandpa, you just saw us yesterday," Lovetta laughed. "It's not like we live on the other side of the country!"

"I know, but you used to live with us!"

Max rolled his eyes as he entered the backyard, Nikki right behind him. He caught Lovetta's eye and subtly patted his pocket, letting her know that he had the ring. Just a couple minutes later, Neil, Tabii, James, Leo, and Coral showed up together. Neil had picked up his niece's best friends on the way over to save time for their parents.

"Okay, I've got the oddly-specific cookies you asked me to buy," announced Lizzie, entering the yard. She'd be leaving for college the next day, so that was the point of the barbeque. "And it looks like everyone's here."

"Great!" David put down his grandson and gave his daughter a hug, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Uh, no. Dad, you said you weren't going to do this."

"My daughter's going off to college. Let me be emotional."

"I meant save this for when I'm moving into the dorm. There'll be plenty of time to be emotional then."

"I know." David wiped his tears and Gwen gave him a gentle smile as she put a hand on his shoulder. "It's just… Max didn't go to college, and neither did Nikki, so we didn't get to give either of them a sendoff. The next one will be for Lovetta."

"I'm not going to college!" Lovetta called.

"Yes, you are," Max told her.

"Whatever."

"She becomes your kid more every day," Gwen commented.

"Burger," Ollie said, tugging at his mom's shirt.

"Okay, Ollie, we'll get you a burger," Nikki stated, picking her son up and resting him on her hip. David ran over to the grill and started to cook the meat while Lovetta and her friends just kind of hung out. Max was nearby, making sure James and Leo kept their hands to themselves (he'd been that age once, too, far more recently than they seemed to realize). Coral was talking animatedly about some new show her brother was in, gesturing wildly and mentioning that her ex-babysitter was on the staff of the show.

"Yeah, but why is he your _ex_ -babysitter?" Lovetta asked.

"Because Chris decided I didn't need one anymore and that I can just hang out with you guys. He thinks you're a good enough influence."

"HA!"

Nikki smiled. She was happy with all the changes that had come in the past couple of years.

Just as she'd thought, Max was a fantastic father to both their kids. He was extremely affectionate yet firm, but that didn't stop him from pulling a 'dad joke' every now and then. Ollie loved them, and Lovetta did, too—even if she had the typical teen response of groaning at every joke he made. Sure, he'd looked a little jealous when she'd been breastfeeding Ollie, but she chalked that up to him not being good at sharing.

What could possibly make their lives more perfect?

"Burger!" cheered Ollie as his mom set the patty in front of him. His method of eating burgers was messy and inefficient, but he _was_ only two. It was necessary for someone to watch him so he didn't choke.

The sun set on the horizon and David started a fire in the firepit he'd built shortly after they'd first moved into the house. It was a sweet and romantic setting, and Nikki leaned her head on Max's shoulder. Gwen tried to help her grandson eat a marshmallow without getting the goo all over his face, which failed spectacularly.

"Hey, Nik?" Max whispered, getting his girlfriend's attention. She lifted her head up.

"What is it?"

"We've known each other a long time, right?"

"Almost twenty years. What's your point?"

"My point is that you and our kids are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I want to make our family even more of a family." He slid off his chair and onto the ground, where he got down on one knee and pulled out the box. Gwen gasped, as did everyone but Lovetta and Ollie. "Nikki, will you marry me?"

"YES!"

Without any hesitation, Nikki tackled Max to the ground in a hug, just as their daughter had predicted. He was laughing, though, so she knew it was fine as he slid the ring on her finger. They exchanged their first kiss as an engaged couple and David was crying again. This time, they were tears of joy. Ollie looked confused, while Neil and Tabii clapped happily for the two.

Nikki was officially going to be a Greene.

* * *

"…and that should do it!"

Lovetta smiled as Ruby's older sister, Kami, finished hanging the handmade flower wreath. As usual, the Writing Camp girl had a pencil tucked in her ponytail and a _Doctor Who_ backpack on her back. Most likely she'd rampage through the cabin later, searching desperately for the pencil before somebody pulled it out of her hair.

"I love weddings," Kami sighed. "The last one I went to was at the beach. I'm sure this one's going to be just as good."

"I was promised cake," Ruby stated, narrowing her eyes. "I'd better see cake, Kami."

Kami rolled her eyes and bent down to adjust the tongue of her sneaker. Lovetta ran towards the mess hall, where the reception was being set up by Tristan and his twin sister, Naomi. Naomi, it turned out, had a natural talent for baking and had made the cake with help from Gwen and David. Other campers were happily helping set up for the wedding, whether it be by putting out chairs or making sure that Max and Nikki didn't see each other until the ceremony.

"We've got it handled!" called Julius, the latest recruit from Extreme Sports Camp. "Go on and see your parents. We all know you want to."

Lovetta ran outside and into the infirmary, where her dad was pacing nervously.

"Hey, Dad! You ready?"

"Lovetta, I have wanted to marry Nikki since we were in _high school_. I'm ready. I'm just worried something's going to go horribly fucking wrong."

"It probably will. We're the Greenes and this is Camp Campbell; something is _bound_ to go wrong."

"Fair enough, kiddo." He smiled. "You look adorable, by the way."

"Thanks."

The thirteen-year-old was wearing a yellow dress that ended three-quarters of the way down her thigh, a pair of shorts underneath in case any guys got any bright ideas that would likely end in her dad castrating them. Her wild curls had been tamed under a yellow flower crown that she had made earlier that day and Gwen had taken the opportunity to put a little makeup on her—just a little mascara and lipstick, though.

"I'm gonna go check on Mom. See you at the ceremony!"

Nikki, predictably, was almost as nervous as Max was. She was pacing in the counselors' cabin, wearing a knee-length dress and a pair of three-inch-heels on her feet. A crown of white wildflowers was on her head, a matching bouquet sitting on a dresser nearby. Lovetta entered and saw her mother's state.

"Mom, it's going to be fine."

"I know, Lovey, but I keep getting these awful thoughts in my head that everything's going to go wrong."

"It's like I told Dad: we're the Greenes and this is Camp Campbell. Something's going to go wrong but everything will be fine in the end."

"Aw, thanks." Nikki smiled and checked the time. "It's almost time for the ceremony."

"Let's go!"

Lovetta was the flower girl, despite the fact that she was thirteen and technically old enough to be a junior bridesmaid. She didn't care, though, as she spread flower petals on the aisle and steered her brother towards the end. Once they reached their father, she turned back around to see David walking Nikki towards them. Lovetta glanced up at Max and saw his mouth was open without any sound coming out. He was speechless.

"Friends, family, campers old and new," began Quartermaster. "We are gathered here to witness the union between Max and Nikki. Many of us knew them as children, when they spent their days raising hell right here at Camp Campbell. Others knew them as teenagers who snuck off-grounds to make out in the woods. Now they stand before us as mature adults with two children, ready to prove their love to all of us who doubted it. Your vows?"

"Nikki, my life started out pretty shitty," Max began. "Then, when I was ten and at Camp Campbell for the second year in a row, I met you. You were so bright, and happy, and full of life… it was a definite contrast to me. We spent our time as campers raising hell here, driving our counselors crazy. I fell in love with you that first summer and didn't even know it. It's been twenty years since we met and I'm looking forward to every year down the line—you, me, and our family against the world. I love you, Nikki."

"Max, I didn't have the best parents in the world, even though they were _saints_ compared to your birth parents. I fell for you that first summer, just like you did, and we were practically attached at the hip. We were friends for four years, and we dated for three before you took off—just to protect _me_. And even if we don't have those eleven years together, we have every year down the line. You're my support when I need it and willing to put up with every single one of my stupid jokes. I love you, Max, with everything I have."

Preston (ever the drama king) sniffed as he dabbed at his eyes with a tissue.

"May I have the rings, please?" Quartermaster asked. Ollie handed him the pillow and Max and Nikki slid on their wedding bands. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the—"

The old man didn't even get a chance to finish before Nikki grabbed Max and pulled him into a kiss. The startled groom didn't know how to react, but he just went with it. It was just Nikki being Nikki, after all.

Lovetta clapped along with everyone else.

A happy ending, at last.

* * *

 **This is the final chapter of part 1. Part 2 (not the AO3 smutfic) will be documenting the high-school adventures of Lovetta, James, Leo, and Coral with Makki in the background. Let me know who you want Lovetta shipped with. I'm actually considering a three-way ship between Leo, James, and Lovetta. Coral is elsewhere.**

 **Author's note will follow this!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	12. Final Note

Final author's note on this particular story.

Jesus Christ, I actually finish stories for this fandom. What the fuck?!

Anyway, like I said at the end of chapter eleven, part two will start up soon. I don't have an exact timeframe, but it'll be soon. I need feedback from you guys on certain things beforehand.

Namely, the Lovetta ship.

I want to put her with James, Leo, or both of them. Yes, I want to polyship this Makki child. Fight me. Or don't. I just want your opinion.

Onto this story's commentary, this just sprang into my head one day. I don't know why. But I bet you're all glad it did.

The first scene I actually wrote for this story was the one where Nikki smashes a piece of pie into Max's face as payback for leaving her. And, as somebody on AO3 pointed out (thank you, HG_Wells), it was largely based off a scene from the sitcom "Girl Meets Word" in which Maya's mother, Katy, does the same to Maya's father, Kurt. I liked that scene a _lot_ when I watched the episode, but when writing this story, I couldn't remember what the pie thing was based off of. For some reason, I thought it was from "Last Man Standing". Oddly enough, both shows in the beginning had single moms working in diners.

Probably my favorite thing about writing this whole story has been the overwhelmingly positive feedback I've gotten. And on that note, I'd like to thank my two most dedicated readers that I know of (because you leave reviews that let me know you were there). On Fanfiction, it's SteampunkWilson, and on AO3, it's Clownboy! Both of you have actually been extremely helpful and encouraging, which is why I wanted to take this moment to thank you specifically.

And now, thank you to all my other readers, past, present, and future.

So long and thanks for all the fish!


End file.
